


The Abridged Collection

by sinemoras09



Series: Solatium [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Female Senju Hashirama, Remix
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:40:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 32,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25663009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sinemoras09/pseuds/sinemoras09
Summary: How Obito becomes Hokage and Rin is resurrected. Abridged, chronological version ofCrash PadandSolatiumposted on tumblr. Obirin.
Relationships: Nohara Rin/Uchiha Obito
Series: Solatium [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1893787
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	1. Hokage

**Author's Note:**

> So I just finished two massive ficlet collections based on the Birdsong universe, where female Hashirama and Madara survive the Fourth Shinobi War: [Crash Pad](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24522358/chapters/59204281), which focuses on how Madara marries Hashi and convinces everyone to make Obito Hokage, and [Solatium](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24756424/chapters/59856235), which centers on the challenges Obito has to face being a war criminal who's now leading one of the five shinobi villages. Both of these were slice-of-life ficlet collections with very little actual plot, but as I was writing them, a few plotlines developed interspersed between different random ficlets. Each "chapter" is really the amalgamation of several different ficlets that I edited together and posted on tumblr. I had to do quite a bit of re-writing to make them coherent in fic form, so for posterity's sake I'm posting them all here. Needless to say, neither of these will make sense unless you're familiar with this universe.
> 
> Update 8/26/20 - since the other two ficlet collections are so long, I decided to collect the remaining obirin story-arc ficlets into individual chapters, that way if anyone wants to read the obirin-centric parts of the fic, they can read the overarching story here :)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Obito becomes Hokage. Series of Crash Pad ficlets edited into chronological order.

1.

“Apparently I’m cursed to be surrounded by idiots,” Madara says, when he sees that once again he’s being chaperoned by Gai and Naruto.

“Yo!” Naruto says, and Gai gives him a hearty salute. Madara sighs heavily.

They walk down the forest path, Gai spouting ridiculous platitudes while the Uzumaki brat laughs and nods excitedly. It makes sense that he’s paired up with them: Might Gai was the only shinobi who managed to injure him, and the Naruto kid’s strength rivaled that of the current generations’ kage - which doesn’t say much, but the fact remains.

“Oh, look! It’s Kakashi-sensei! And look, there’s my dad!” Naruto says, and Madara looks up and sees Obito being similarly chaperoned, flanked by Kakashi and Minato as they walk toward them.

“Yo,” Kakashi says, as they pass. Minato’s eyes close into pleasant half-moons as he smiles at Naruto. Obito keeps staring straight ahead of them.

Madara sighs. Somehow it’s even more depressing seeing his protégé similarly neutered.

“Yo, Bushy-Eyebrows-sensei! We should do push-ups after the mission, dattebayo!”

Madara glances up at Obito. Obito shrugs.

*****

2.

Uchiha Obito wakes before his alarm.

He shuts off the clock radio, then pads barefoot toward the bathroom. The sun hasn't risen yet, and everything is shaded in a blue-gray hue outside. Silently Obito opens the medicine cabinet and methodically shakes open his medications - an antidepressant, a migraine prophylactic, and a pain pill for the lingering neuropathy he has in his face, arm, and leg. Closing the medicine cabinet, he looks briefly at his face in the mirror before dry-swallowing the pills, grimacing a bit before turning on the tap of running water.

"Yo," Kakashi says. He's waiting for Obito outside the apartment steps. Obito walks down the metal grated stairs, wearing the standard shinobi flak jacket in Konoha's colors. He doesn't wear the forehead protector, though - it feels dishonest and it makes him slightly uncomfortable.

"What's today's mission?" Obito says.

"VIP escort to the Fire Kingdom's periphery. Easy enough. Sensei is going to meet us at the gate."

They hitch their packs and walk.

The sun is starting to rise, its pale rays starting to peek over the lingering shadows. Minato is there, and he gives them a cheerful wave as they join him.

They called it a second life. Second chance, new beginnings. A way to redeem themselves; a miracle. Whatever it is, Obito has adjusted to his new life in the village. Even if his crimes were forgiven, he still has a need for atonement.

*****

His throat tightened the first time he spoke to Sensei in the village.

"Sensei, forgive me," Obito said, and his voice cracked. "I can never forgive myself for what I did, for hurting your wife and child. I understand if hate me. I can't help but hate myself."

Kakashi watched. Minato stood, the slight spring breeze catching his hair. He smiled and patted Obito on the shoulder.

"Water under the bridge," Minato said. Obito lifted his eyes.

"Sensei?"

Minato's eyes closed into two happy crescents: "I know Kushina would be the first to offer forgiveness, and my child is already grown, and quite fond of you."

Obito's eyes grew shiny with tears. "Sensei--"

Kakashi clapped Obito's back. "You always were a stupid crybaby."

And Obito laughed, wiping his eyes.

Now the three of them are a team - a formal team of equals, no longer tasked with watching him. He's accepted as a part of the village - people smile when they greet him and no one is afraid of him. "This doesn't feel right," Obito had said to Kakashi, in a low voice. "By all rights, the villagers should shun me after what I did."

Kakashi sighed. "I think you need to go up on that antidepressant," Kakashi said.

*****

They call themselves Team Minato, just like they did during their genin days.

They work their jutsus in tandem, Kakashi flanking their target on one side while Obito runs toward the other. One blink, and Obito's kamui swirls, Minato flash-stepping beside them and neutralizing the threat.

Afterwards, they sit at the base of a tree, eating a few rice balls and sharing a canteen of water. Obito is screwing back on the cap when a thought suddenly occurs to him. "Sensei?"

Minato looks up. "Yeah?"

"I just realized, Sensei. Physically we're all the same age."

"You just now figured that out?" Kakashi says, and Minato laughs. Obito glares and blushes.

"It was just an observation," Obito says. He tosses a stick on the ground and puts away his canteen.

They're coming back from the mission, Kakashi and Minato and Obito, and as they trudge heavily through the forest path toward Konoha, they see the shape of another three-person team walking toward them: Naruto and Hashi and Uchiha Madara.

"Look, it's my dad!" Naruto says, and Minato waves at them.

"Hello," Hashi says to Kakashi. Kakashi nods.

"Yo."

Obito's eyes track toward Madara's. Madara looks back at him stonily.

"Yeesh, that guy is really intense, isn't he?" Kakashi says, after they pass.

"Who?" Minato says.

"Uchiha Madara. Who else?"

Obito tosses a rock, walking a little ahead of them.

"You okay, Obito?" Kakashi asks. Minato looks at him, worried.

"I'm fine," Obito says. He keeps walking. "C'mon. We're almost home."

******

3.

Iruka sits behind his desk, folding his hands in front of him.

“So, as you know, your daughter has finished her first month of kindergarten, and,” Iruka takes a moment, keeps his voice calm and measured, “there are some things we need to discuss.”

“What is it?” Hashi says. She is sitting in the chair provided in front of Iruka’s desk, but Madara has opted to keep standing, his arms crossed and a pinched look on his face. Iruka’s eyes dart quickly toward him before turning back to Hashirama.

“Well,” Iruka says. “Your daughter is…very advanced.”

“Splendid. What is the problem?” Madara says.

“Ah, Madara-san, perhaps…perhaps if you just sit down…?”

Madara’s eyes narrow. “I prefer to stand.”

“Okay.” Iruka rubs his neck nervously. “Well. The young lady is, ah. Is rather intimidating for a five-year-old her age….”

“Intimidating, how?” Hashi says. Iruka takes a breath.

“Well…she used her Sharingan against the faculty a number of times; she used her Rinnegan against a group of upper level students who were learning bunshin jutsus, and apparently she has beat up two genin who were preparing to take their chuunin exams.”

“Splendid!” Madara says, while Hashi starts, “What?” Iruka clears his throat.

“As I said, your little girl is very advanced,” Iruka says.

“Excellent. So we pull her out of this class and let her take the chuunin exams. I agree with this assessment,” Madara says.

“Now hold on, she is still only five years old, mentally and emotionally, she’s a kindergartner, so–”

“It is my understanding you people had children as young as four years old fight in the Third Shinobi War, unless I am mistaken,” Madara says.

Iruka hesitates, “Well, Uchiha Itachi, like your daughter, was a special case, so–”

“So what is the problem?”

“Anata.” Hashi turns around in her chair. “Just come sit down.”

Madara glowers. He pulls out the chair and sits heavily, glaring at Iruka. If looks could kill - and on a normal day, Madara’s can and does - Iruka would be completely annihilated right now. But because his wife is urging restraint, Madara keeps himself in check. He sits back in the chair and crosses his arms.

“So we have a choice,” Iruka says. “We can either pull her out of the classroom now and assign her to a genin team, or we keep her where she is, so she can continue to develop socially.”

“Pull her out,” Madara says, while Hashi says, “Keep her where she is.” They glance at each other. Iruka laughs nervously.

“Well, you two take some time to talk about it. No one needs to come to a decision, now.”

  
*****

  
“I’m just worried,” Hashi says. It’s nighttime now, and they’re walking down the street, heading back to the house. “The whole point of starting the village was to protect our children from unnecessary harm. Genin go out on real missions, there won’t be anyone to protect her if she’s in danger.”

“She won’t be in danger, genin do not do anything,” Madara says. “The most she’ll do is rescue pets or help frail civilians cross the street. She won’t even leave the village.”

“Aren’t most genin around twelve years old, though? She’s five. Those kids are going through puberty. What if they exclude her?”

“Then they will learn to fear and respect her.”

“I don’t think that’s a good plan,” Hashi says. They get to the house and open the door.

“Nii-san!”

Madara starts, “Izuna?!”

Their daughter is laughing, pinning Izuna to the wall with her ocular powers, her little brothers giggling by her feet. She looks up and sees them. Her face brightens.

“Mommy! Daddy!” She jumps up and runs toward them. Izuna drops to the ground.

Madara leans toward Hashi. “Hashirama, are you still concerned about those kids going through puberty?” Hashi shakes her head.

“I guess not.”

  
*****

  
4.

Madara and his daughter are hiding in the bushes, watching a merchant rearranging apples on his fruit stand. Madara points.

“Look well, daughter. You see that man over there?”

“Yes, Daddy?”

“He insulted your father gravely. Let us practice your katons to show him.”

“Okay, Daddy!”

She starts weaving her hand seals.

“You set fire to his fruit stand?!” Hashi says, while their daughter laughs and Madara stands, arms crossed, aloof and disaffected.

“Do not worry, Hashirama. She only set the sign on fire.”

  
****

  
“Why were you throwing rocks at our child?!” Hashi says.

Madara holds up his hands. “I was teaching her to dodge, so that she is not so dependent on the Sharingan.”

“By throwing rocks at her?! Knives? Shuriken?!”

“Calm yourself, Hashirama, I would not use weapons against her if I weren’t confident she’d survive.”

Hashi crosses her arms. “I don’t think you should be talking about our daughter ‘surviving’ your training,” Hashi says. Madara frowns.

“Need I remind you, Hashirama, there are jounin not even half her skill level being thrown into mortal peril at all times. I fail to see how she’s in any danger from a few loose rocks.”

“Can’t you just skip stones by the river with her? Practice her katons against wooden targets instead of people?”

“I fail to see the utility in that.”

“Ugh.”

“More to the point, Hashirama, I’m concerned you’re growing soft. We lived in an era of constant war. You are coddling our children.”

Hashi looks around. “Wait a minute, where are the babies?” she says.

Madara cocks his head to the side, where she sees the baby and the toddler playing with their toys inside his Susanoo. “I would have left them with weapons, but you told me not to,” Madara says.

  
*****

  
5.

At the base of the river, an Uchiha child toddles forward. There is something shiny in the riverbank, and the child is curious. He reaches his chubby hands into the water.

Something yanks him backward, and the baby’s little legs stumble. He lands squarely on his butt. The baby looks around, confused, then looks up. His face brightens. He reaches his little arms upward.

“What the hell am I looking at?” Obito says, as Madara picks up the toddler from across the river.

Obito is sitting next to Kakashi across the other side of the river, watching with growing disbelief as Uchiha Madara herds his children; one is strapped to his chest while the other one toddles around with a baby leash. Occasionally, he will toddle a little too far, and Madara will yank him backward.

“Have you seen his daughter?” Kakashi asks, and as if on cue, the little girl comes barreling down the trail, shrieking and laughing. There is smoke coming from behind the bushes and they both realize she has set something on fire. “He’s practically a house husband,” Kakashi says. He stretches, then leans against the tree comfortably. “Tsunade won’t let him go on any missions.”

“Why?” Obito says. Kakashi shrugs.

“Not trustworthy. And besides, Hashi-san herself is worth the strength of an entire platoon of nin. If something of that magnitude needs to be done, they’d rather just send her in.”

“That doesn’t anger him?” Obito watches as Madara shepherds his children away from the river. The toddler starts throwing a tantrum: Obito and Kakashi watch as Madara simply genjutsus him.

“I don’t think so,” Kakashi says, as Madara picks up the toddler the way he would a sack of flour, carrying both babies while his daughter follows him. “I think he actually enjoys it.”

“Actually enjoys terrorizing the civilians in the village,” Obito says. “I heard he set a local fruit stand on fire.”

  
*****

  
6.

“She’s too powerful. I don’t think she should be training with the other genin.” The genin team leader, a Nara jounin, is sitting in front of Iruka and Tsunade. A sweat drop forms on the Nara jounin’s forehead.

“Powerful, how?” Tsunade says. The Nara jounin swallows.

“Well. The span of her katon is easily the the same width and breadth of an entire fleet of nin. She’s so proficient in taijutsu, she’s inadvertently nearly killed the other genin. She’s turned playground equipment into weapons and when I tried subduing her with my shadow technique, she overwhelmed it with chakra and broke free. And this is without her even using her Sharingan.”

“Oh,” Tsunade says. “I see.” She and Iruka glance at each other.

It had been a compromise: three days a week, Madara’s daughter would stay with her kindergarten class, while on the other days she would go train with a genin team. The team was a typical one, three rookie genin and a jounin instructor, and Madara’s daughter was allowed to tag along with them on missions.

“What should we do?” Iruka says. He and Tsunade go over potential other jounin instructors, people with ocular powers who could easily subdue her. “The Hyuuga can’t seem to handle her, and all the genin are afraid of her.”

Tsunade crosses her arms, leaning back in her chair. “I think I know what to do,” Tsunade says.

  
*****

  
Kakashi, Obito, and Minato stare at the little girl waving in front of them. “Hello!” she says. “My Sensei says I can come and train with you!”

Kakashi and Minato don’t skip a beat. “Hello, ojou-chan. How old are you?”

She holds up five fingers. “Five!” she says. She holds up her dolly. “This is my dolly! She has a pink dress! Can she come train too?”

“You have got to be kidding,” Obito says. Kakashi elbows him in the ribs.

  
*****

  
7.

“YOOOOOOOOOSH! Get ready for the ultimate team! Me and Fuzzy Eyebrows Sensei and Old Man Madara, dattebayo!”

“Once again, in the springtime of youth!” Gai says, and he and Naruto chest bump each other.

Madara stares at them. “I am in hell,” Madara says.

  
*****

  
Of all the indignities he must suffer, this by far is the worst. It also confirms Madara’s suspicions that Obito was a consummate idiot, letting himself, a thirty-year-old man, be talked down by a sixteen-year-old with next to no life experience. That Uchiha Madara, the strongest shinobi alive, second only to Senju Hashirama, is being forced to be chaperoned by said sixteen-year-old is an affront to his senses.

“Sensei!” Lee’s face is a waterfall of tears and snot, his lower lip trembling and his buggy eyes streaming. “Why can’t I be on your team, Sensei?!”

“Worry not, my adorable pupil!” Gai throws an arm around Lee. “After this mission, we will continue to train!”

“Alright! I got the snacks, dattebayo! And the map, and the mission objectives, and–” Naruto pats his pockets. “Oh crap! Where are the mission objectives?!”

Madara gives them a withering look and holds up the pamphlet. Gai grabs it from him. “Ha ha! Looks like our resident grumpy grump is contributing!”

“Touch me and you will lose that hand,” Madara says, just as Gai is about to clap him on the back. Gai and Naruto look at each other.

  
*****

  
“Madara-ojiichan. How come you’re always in a bad mood, dattebayo?”

Naruto is walking with his hands behind his head, while Gai is running around in circles around them, counting reps and punching the air. Madara gives Naruto a pointed look. “You really need me to answer that question?”

“Is it 'cuz you miss your kids? 'Cuz I heard from Kakashi-sensei that you’re pretty much a house husband, and–”

“Do the both of you wish to die? Because I can make that a reality,” Madara says.

Gai starts shadow boxing. Madara glares.

  
*****

8.

There is a meeting discussing who will succeed Tsunade as the Sixth Hokage. A few names float around: Might Gai. Hatake Kakashi. A scribe writes their names on a white board while the council discusses the formal nominations.

"What about Uchiha Obito."

They turn. Madara is leaning against a wall at the entrance of the conference room, arms crossed and covered in shadow.

"Madara." The elders look at each other. "You were not invited to this council."

"I had a hand in the founding of this village. Well. You invited neither myself nor Hashirama, so I suppose I can't be too insulted."

The elders frown at each other. "Uchiha Obito has committed many atrocities. He was an S-class nin and kage-level threat. He was the one who put in motion the Fourth Shinobi War."

"And it was my understanding he sacrificed himself to end it," Madara says. "Well. I am not surprised. Council idiots would never put an Uchiha to power."

"Madara-sama, a moment--"

But Uchiha Madara is already gone.

*****

Obito is coming back from a mission. It's dark now, and he slowly walks up the metal grate steps to his apartment. He's tired and his body hurts, and all he wants to do is go to sleep after a long, hot shower.

"Obito," Tsunade says, and Obito stops, surprised.

"Tsunade-sama?"

Tsunade smiles. She hands him some papers.

"I have need to speak with you."

*****

"Hokage?" Kakashi turns sharply. Obito is hunched over the bar, a drink in his hand and staring at his glass. "They've nominated you for Hokage?" Obito nods. "Obito...congratulations."

Obito lifts his eyes. Kakashi is beaming beneath his mask. Obito looks back down at his drink.

"I think I'm going to refuse it."

"Why?" Kakashi says, and Obito swirls his drink. He watches the amber liquid swirl, his reflection distorted in the glass.

"Whoever is Fire Shadow is sworn to protect the people of this village." Obito sets down his drink. "I was the one who set the Kyuubi loose. I was the one who nearly destroyed it."

Kakashi falls silent for a moment. And then, "Have you told Sensei?"

"I am too ashamed. I don't want him to know about it." Obito's voice is soft. He doesn't look at him.

Kakashi frowns. "I think you should talk to Sensei," Kakashi says. Obito hunches over the bar, not saying anything. Kakashi shifts forward.

"How long did they give you to make a decision?"

"Until the end of the month," Obito says. His eyes flick upward. "I was told if I refused, the title of Sixth Hokage would go to you."

Kakashi blinks. Obito pours himself another drink. "So," Obito says. He sets down his bottle. "Do you still think I should take it?"

There is the clinking of glass in the background, the sound of a wooden fan turning above them. Kakashi considers.

"Yes," Kakashi says, and his eyes meet Obito's.

"I really think you should."

*****

9.

There aren't any other missions scheduled, but Obito doesn't enjoy his days off. While Kakashi is buying erotic fiction and Minato is hanging out with his kid, Obito has nowhere to go other than the training grounds, honing his techniques and thinking of ways to teach their little teammate more about the Sharingan.

"You mean Madara isn't training her?" Kakashi is sitting on a fence, watching as Obito tries to come up with ways to use Mangekyou without hurting her. Obito kicks a post, a simple side kick, but keeps his leg mid-air, holding the kata in perfect formation.

"Apparently he told her not to use her Sharingan because she has a tendency to overuse it." He slowly lowers his leg, then straightens. "I believe she goes straight to the Mangekyou and the Rinnegan because she doesn't have as firm a grasp on the basics."

"You mean genjutsu and enhanced perception?"

"Correct." Obito twists his body in another slow sideways kick. He punches. "I suspect she's had the Sharingan so long, she has taken for granted its own set of powers. And Madara is too used to using his Mangekyou and his Rinnegan, it is probably difficult for him to dumb it down."

"Hmm." Kakashi leans back, crossing his arms. "You really do make a good teacher. If you never got crushed by that rock, maybe you would have gotten a teaching job like Iruka."

Obito spins and kicks the post again. Kakashi hops off the fence.

"So," Kakashi says. "Have you decided what you're going to do about the Hokage thing, yet?"

Another kick. "I told you. I'm probably going to refuse it."

Kakashi sighs, loudly. "If you're worried you're interfering with some long-seated dream of mine, let me assure you, you're not. I'd only accept the position of Hokage out of an ingrained sense of duty."

A kick. "I doubt the villagers would accept me."

"The villagers don't know what's going on half the time. You'd have to worry about the other shinobi."

Kick. "Thank you for reminding me."

Kakshi tilts his head. "You know, Obito, I used to call you a crybaby elite and make fun of you, but even before you woke the Sharingan, you weren't bad. I was even jealous of your katons."

"What is this? Rare praise from Hatake Kakashi?" Kick. "Of course I wasn't bad. I was just a part of a clan of geniuses, teamed up with the top genin of our class. Anyone would look bad in comparison."

Spin, spin, kick. The post bends. Obito turns. "That took me the better part of twenty years to realize that. A shame I nearly had to end the world in order to do that." He looks at Kakashi's bag. "Another ero novel?"

"Oh yes." Kakashi holds up the book. "This one's called 'Kisses for my Lover.' I hear the plot's derivative but the smut scenes are phenomenal."

"You know most men would rather just watch porn instead of reading it."

"I prefer to use my imagination."

"Hm."

*****

The sun is starting to set, and the village is bathed in a deep, rich orange.

Obito goes to the drugstore to refill his medications. Antidepressant. Pain pill. Migraine prophylaxis. Recently he's been having panic attacks, so his doctor started prescribing Xanax. "It's likely PTSD from the rock falling in that cave," the civilian psychiatrist said. She wrote Obito the prescription. "If you take it, avoid operating heavy machinery. Don't take it with alcohol or mix it with other medications."

Obito walks out of the drug store, clutching his bags.

*****

Nighttime. Obito sits over the table and quickly eats a store-bought bento, sitting in the dark and watching the small television in the corner. It's a movie, some romantic comedy where the plucky heroine goes off to find herself in a small town. Invariably she's engaged to some jerk businessman, but she finds true love in the neighborhood lumberjack she meets after leaving the city.

This annoys him. This isn't love, it's infatuation, and what about her poor fiancé sitting in the city? Why do the writers have to bend over backwards to make him a jerk? Obito frowns at his bento box, then takes a swig of beer.

There is something lurking in the shadows outside.

Obito's eyes narrow. Slowly, he stands up, lowering the volume of the television. There is the sound of something clattering, and Obito strides quickly to his bedroom.

In the dark, the window is open. The light curtains move ominously in the breeze.

There is a weapons rack across the bed, and silently Obito backs up and palms a kunai in his hand. Gripping the handle, Obito carefully edges back out into the hallway.

A black shape darts out, and Obito whirls around.

Obito lunges toward him and attacks, an explosion of power. The man blocks, once, twice, then whacks Obito across the face. There is a sickening crack as the man's fist makes contact, but Obito jerks forward, dodging the next blow and spinning into a kick.

Punch, punch, kick. The man flips Obito over but Obito catches himself, springing back upward and vaulting into a flying kick through the air.

Contact. The man staggers. Obito whirls around and punches hard, once, twice, the third time he misses, the man dodging and hitting him square in the jaw. They stagger into the kitchen, where it's too dark to see. Obito's Sharingan flares. He dodges, lunges forward. The thin light from the movie pulses in the background.

Slam! He shoves a kunai against the assailant's neck, slamming him against the wall.

Obito's heart is thudding fast. Who was this? Was someone trying to assassinate him? He feels his throat constrict, the weight of a thousand boulders strangling him.

He's on the verge of another panic attack.

Obito's jaw tightens. He struggles to keep control, forces himself to slow his breathing. He grips the kunai harder.

And then, his assailant slowly starts to laugh.

"Splendid! Splendid! I should expect nothing less from the man who lived as Uchiha Madara!"

Obito pulls back, shocked. In the dark he hadn't recognized him. Madara's face splits into a slow grin.

"However," a black rod slowly worms out from Madara's arm, then presses menacingly against Obito's stomach, "once again, you have left yourself undefended."

Madara gives him a small poke, then retracts, raising his hands to show him. "Don't get too full of yourself," Madara says. "If I wanted to kill you, I already would have."

Obito lowers his kunai and the two men straighten. Obito's eyes narrow. "What do you want?"

"You are my daughter's teacher," Madara says. "It is only natural that I would want to see you."

On the TV, the heroine coos. "Oh! I never knew what love is until I met you!"

"I heard you were the one behind the Hokage nomination." Obito switches off the TV, flipping on the light. He turns back to Madara. "Why?" Obito says. Madara shrugs.

"I have children in this village," Madara says. "You could say I have a vested interest." Madara looks around. "A bento for one? How pathetic. If I had known you'd have such difficulties finding a partner, I wouldn't have worked so hard to kill your precious Rin."

Obito grabs Madara by the collar and slams him against the wall. "Why?" Obito says. "Why me? Why Hokage? What is it you're trying to do?"

Madara smirks. "It is a shame you have to ask."

"You're trying to find a way to manipulate them."

"Hm."

"What did you do?" Obito says. "Genjutsu them? Use mind-control to manipulate them?"

"I did nothing of the sort," Madara says. He pushes off Obito's arm and dusts off his shirt. "I merely gave them your name. Those simpletons at the council came to the same conclusion." Madara looks around. "This is your apartment?" Obito's eyes narrow.

"What's it to you?"

"It is a bit small, is it not?"

Obito glares.

"I mean no offense. I just remember you not being overly fond of too-small spaces."

"Just tell me what you want," Obito says. Madara turns.

"You've grown strong," Madara says. He looks Obito over. "I'd like to think I had a hand in it." Madara's eyes track over to the grocery bag of medications sitting on the desk.

Obito knows, without Madara having to say anything, that Madara is using his Sharingan to read the medications. Obito stalks over to the desk and grabs the bag.

"Let me spare you the trouble," Obito says, and he dumps the contents of the bag onto the table. "This is an antidepressant. This one is an anxiolytic. This one is for migraines and this one is for the shooting pains I still get in my face and limbs."

"Is that all?" Madara says. "And here I thought you were overly medicated."

"You manipulated me and tried to kill me. I was just a child. And you were a fucking psychotic old man--"

"You make it sound as if I somehow violated you. All I did was give you one small push - I did not inspire anything that wasn't already there."

"Killing Rin was not 'one small push'," Obito says. Madara spreads his hands.

"Agree to disagree, then," Madara says. "Believe it or not, Obito, I believed her death could be negated, so long as we stuck to the plan." Madara turns. His eyes flick upward.

"The world was imperfect," Madara says. "We both wanted the same thing. And if it meant eternal peace, it was a burden we both were willing to bear."

"So even now, you don't regret it?" Obito says. Madara sighs.

"I regret that it was what neither you nor I had wanted," Madara says. He picks up a bottle of medication, glancing at the label, before setting it down again. "I do not regret the original plan."

Obito scoffs. "That's not what I hear you told Hashirama."

"I tell Hashirama a lot of things. It is her own fault if she chooses to believe them." Madara looks around. "Do you have sake in this sorry place, or should we procure it elsewhere?"

Obito scowls. He moves swiftly to the other side of the kitchen and brings out a bottle.

"Ah," Madara says. "Good." He pours himself and Obito a drink."You asked me why I had them nominate you. The answer is quite simple. The Hokage is supposed to be the strongest shinobi in the village. You are my protégé and one of the few Uchiha left. If it is a matter of strength, then the answer is clear."

Madara sets down the bottle, pushing the glass toward Obito. "But you're right to question if I have an ulterior motive, and I do. I'm doing this for my children," Madara says. Obito knits his brow.

"Your children?" Obito says.

"My children are Uchiha in a village that shuns them," Madara says. He crosses his arms. "Don't you know what happened to my daughter?"

Obito sits back, listening. Madara leans forward.

"She was pulled out of her kindergarten class because those idiot teachers at the Academy claim she was bullying the other children. But I spoke to her, and do you know what she told me? She told me they were making fun of her. That her eyes were that of demons and that as an Uchiha she should have died. Those children made my daughter cry," Madara says, and his face darkens. "I would have killed them myself if not for Hashirama."

Obito's brow furrows. "You are telling me to become Hokage...because your daughter was bullied by other school children?"

"I am telling you to become Hokage because this village does not protect the Uchiha, it treats us like second-class citizens.

"I have children, Obito. I have a little girl who loves her school but wonders why the others won't be friends with her. I have two sons who will grow up in a world that will look at them with suspicion and contempt. If there is an Uchiha Hokage, my hope is that it can mitigate that."

Obito watches as Madara plays with the glass in front of him, and realizes Madara is telling the truth. "I want to talk to my Sensei, first," Obito says. Madara scoffs.

"Oh? You mean that yellow-haired weakling you tried to kill when you first attacked this village? Fine. Go talk to your Sensei. But know if you don't accept this position, your true Sensei will be very disappointed."

"Fuck you," Obito says. Madara rises. He starts to leave, but stops by the door.

"For what it is worth," Madara says, and Obito looks up, Madara's back facing toward him, "I do regret everything that happened. We betrayed each other for no good reason."

"I want you to leave," Obito says. Madara turns the door handle.

"I will see you again when I pick up my daughter," he says, and he walks out the door.

*****

Minato is spending the day with Naruto, but he can meet with Obito in the evening. "He's going to get ramen with Iruka. Maybe we can meet for dinner?" Minato says.

The sun is starting to set. Above them, the sound of crows echoes through the otherwise empty street, and the setting light is red and orange. Obito stands at the top of the hill and sees his Sensei walking up toward him. Their eyes meet and his Sensei smiles and waves at him.

They go to a barbecue restaurant on the other side of town. Meat sizzles on the grill, and Minato turns it over with a pair of chopsticks, grilling the other side.

"So," Minato says. He adds more meat onto the grill. "What is it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Obito hesitates.

"Sensei," Obito says.

"Hm?"

"They..." the meat sizzles. "They asked me to become Hokage."

Minato's face brightens. "That's great!" Minato says, but Obito lowers his eyes. Minato asks gently, "Why are you not happy?"

"I am happy. I'm flattered I'm being acknowledged, but..." Obito's hands tighten into fists. "But I don't know that I deserve it."

Minato smiles. "You of all people deserve it," Minato says. "You've always worked so hard to be your best, and you always helped other people."

"Sensei I tried to kill your wife and child--"

"I know," Minato says. "But I believe you've worked to atone for it. I know you'd be a great Hokage," Minato says.

The door to the restaurant opens, Naruto and Kakashi walking inside. Naruto sees them and his face brightens.

"Look Kakashi-sensei! It's Obito and my dad! Let's go sit with them, dattebayo!"

Minato turns and Obito quickly wipes his eyes, which are red and swollen. Naruto and Kakashi come over.

"I take it you talked to him?" Kakashi says to Obito. Obito smiles ruefully and nods. Naruto tilts his head quizzically.

Minato beams, proudly. "Naruto. Obito just found out he was chosen to be Hokage." Naruto's eyes widen.

"Eh?! Obito-san is going to be Hokage?!" Naruto's face splits into a grin. He pumps his fist. "That's so cool, dattebayo! Obito-san is gonna be a great Hokage--wait, Obito-san?! You're crying?!"

And Obito laughs, his eyes creasing into two crescent-shaped moons, smiling and wiping his eyes.

*****

10.

It's the day of the Naming Ceremony, and Madara's daughter is excited. "They're gonna pick a new Fire Shadow!" his daughter says, and she spins around the house yelling at topmost volume, "Fire Shadow! Fire Shadow! Fire Shadow!" She runs up and down the hallway excitedly.

Hashi is supposed to take her to the ceremony, but his daughter insists Madara come with them. "My Sensei is going to be the Fire Shadow, Daddy! I want you to come see him!"

"Your Sensei is an idiot. Why must your father see him?"

"Because it's my Sensei, Daddy!"

Madara cannot think of a good argument not to come, so he loads the other two children up in a wheelbarrow and pushes them through town. His daughter cranes her neck, trying her best to look out through the crowd of gawking civilians who have gathered. Madara sighs loudly, then picks her up, putting her on his shoulders.

"Look, look Daddy!" his daughter bounces on his shoulders. "There's my Sensei! See him?"

"I do," Madara says, and his daughter laughs and kicks her feet excitedly, hitting him in the chest. Hashi bites back a laugh.

"Anata. That was a good thing you did for Obito." It's nighttime now, and Hashi turns and snuggles Madara in bed. "Everyone thinks you're so terrible but you actually have your soft spots."

"Hmph." Madara sniffs. "I had my reasons."

Hashi hugs him. "Because even after all that's happened, you're still fond of him."

"No." Madara starts to laugh. "Because I can tell that over-emotional idiot to take me off that stupid team with the Uzumaki brat and the Taijutsu idiot!"

"Eh?"

Madara's eyes glitter. "Tsunade has long refused to remove me from my keepers. Anyone she would have picked would inevitably do the same. Now that Obito is in power, he can remove me from that team and let me work alone and in peace, the way it should be!"

Hashi frowns. "So, this whole thing you did - the heart-to-heart, the grudging apology, the acknowledgement of each other's strengths and weaknesses - that was just so you wouldn't be watched by Naruto and Gai?"

"YES!" Madara laughs psychotically. "And it worked! It worked all according to plan! Everything fell into place exactly as I wanted! Uchiha Madara will no longer bear the shackles of mediocre idiots! With this I have finally exacted revenge!"

Hashi frowns at him. "You are such an idiot," Hashi says.


	2. Resurrection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How Rin is resurrected. Warnings for self-harm, suicidal ideation, non-explicit sexual content.
> 
> Ficlets were taken both from Crash Pad and Solatium and organized in chronological order. Explicit versions found in the original ficlet collections.

1.

He had lost another match. This time, Kakashi was the one to deal the finishing blows, the sharp end of a tanto blade slicing against the meat of his arm. After the match, Obito slunk behind the bleachers at the training grounds, nursing the cut on his arm when Rin came up to sit beside him.

"Let me see," Rin said, and Obito lowered the ice pack to show her: the whole lower part of his face was bruised, the tender swell of his lower lip throbbing painfully. Rin frowned and dug through her medical pack, pulling out antiseptic and gauze and reaching up to gently daub at his wounds.

Obito didn't say anything. He didn't know why she was still sitting with him, even though he was pretty sure he was the laughing stock of the entire shinobi class.

He hated it. Heat rose to his cheeks and he was intensely aware of how close Rin was sitting, how her small fingers curled around the tender bones of his wrist.

"It wasn't that bad," Rin said, because she was a girl and girls could read minds, and even though he liked that she was spending time with him, he didn't like that it was because she felt sorry for him. "Do you want me to stitch that up?"

She took his arm again, and dumbly Obito sat beside her. She opened her pack and pulled out a straight suture, holding his arm against her lap. "It's because you need someone to practice on, right?" Obito said, because he was sulking and upset and he was sick of everybody feeling sorry for him.

"Yeah," Rin said. "It is." And Obito sulked even more, before Rin giggled and nudged at his shoulder.

"You make me a really good medic," Rin said, and Obito blushed, because at least he was good for something, for once. She smiled at him and he wanted nothing more than to reach out and tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, because maybe then she would look at him. Maybe then she would actually see him.

But he didn't do anything. Instead, he stared at his hands. There was dirt under his fingernails and his knuckles were scratched and bruised.

"Hey," Rin said. "What is it? I can't read your mind, you need to tell me what's wrong."

At the time, he couldn't say anything. Couldn't tell her that all he wanted to do was sink into her chest, that just sitting next to her made everything go away.

*****

She was his best friend. He liked to think the feeling was mutual, and he was pretty sure it was, because she smiled and laughed and gripped his hand, and she was grinning wide when she told him he was like a brother to her, closer than family. She didn't mind spending time with him. Even when he felt stupid and lonely, she cheered him up and he made her laugh, and they enjoyed each other's company, even if half the time she was gushing about other boys who were better than him.

He wondered what it would be like to kiss her. Her lips looked soft. Once, she had dropped a stick of cherry chapstick on the training grounds, which Obito had furtively picked up and snuck into his pocket. Experimentally he rubbed a little on his hand and decided that it felt goopy and a little sticky. But he still glanced behind him and dropped a quick kiss on his wrist, to see what it would feel like. He decided it felt nice. He pressed his lips together, relishing the feel.

There were a lot of things Obito wondered about. In the darkness of Madara's cave, Obito stared up at the ceiling and wondered what it would feel like. What it would feel like to hold her, to have her lie against his chest and bury his nose into her hair.

He found out, several months later: her body, limp and unmoving. Her hair, sticky and matted with warm old blood.

******

Deidara was drunk. It was the first time Obito had seen his supposed partner this way: face red, slightly slurring his words, Deidara laughing and throwing marble-sized bombs that burst like firecrackers in the small tavern. If Deidara were even the least bit sober, Obito would shake his head and implore Deidara-sempai to please watch where he's throwing things, they could hurt someone! But Deidara was drunk and Obito dropped the act, watching his partner with hooded eyes.

Around him, people were laughing. Civilians were carousing and rough-housing, and the sounds of laughter gathered and rose like waves. Deidara had disappeared and Obito was alone now, watching with a predatory stillness as the men in the tavern laughed, loudly.

There were whores standing outside the tavern, leaning suggestively and soliciting the patrons of the bar. Their faces were painted garish, bright colors, layers of heavy make-up caked in the small lines of leather skin.

He has never touched a woman. In the early years after Rin's death, he had been angry and disgusted with his younger self, who openly fantasized about her as if she were something disposable. A hole for his perverted pleasure. At the time, it had made him angry and ashamed.

But that was then, and the years that pass have all but numbed him completely to the goings-on of normal men. Pain. Love. Hurt. Fear. It was all inconsequential to him. Even Rin's death was a strangely divorced from the rest of himself, that wounded, worried part of himself an unnecessary distraction.

"What's with the mask?" someone said, and Obito looked up, saw the woman leaning against his table.

He glanced at the clock. It was well past midnight, and Obito didn't need to sleep. It was one of the few advantages of having Hashirama's cells implanted in his body, which let him move without eating or sleeping for days on end. He was grateful for this: the rare times his human half needed rest, he was plagued with nightmares, broken bodies and dead gray eyes.

The woman was leaning forward, jutting the tops of her breasts in full view of his gaze. Normally he would not even entertain the thought of doing something so pointless. Sex didn't interest him. Though he would use his body as a tool if the situation so called for it, sex in and of itself was useless to him.

But the hour was late, and there was nothing for him to do but wait for Deidara and stew in his thoughts. He had a few hours to kill, and he would be lying to himself to say he wasn't at least a little bit curious.

He came to a decision. He reached for a satchel of coins.

The clock ticked. In the darkness, he stood motionless; she knelt in front of him on her knees. He was limp but she was doing her best, bobbing her head and swallowing, obscenely.

He felt nothing. Not even as he felt her massaging his flaccid cock, running her thumb under the wilted underside of his glans before gamely sucking him again.

What was he doing? Around him, moonlight puddled like spilled milk, and Obito pushed her back, tucking himself back in.

"What?" The prostitute looked up at him, frustrated.

"That is enough," Obito said, and he zipped up his clothes. "Your money is on the dresser. I do not require anything further."

"But you didn't get off."

His jaw tightened. He strode across the room, pulling open his bag.

"Look," the prostitute said, standing. "I can't read your mind. You need to tell me what's wrong."

Obito stopped.

"What did you say to me?" Obito said. The prostitute blinked, uncertainly.

"I said, you need to tell me what you like. If I'm doing something wrong--"

"Get out," Obito said.

"Wait, what?"

"Leave," Obito said. "Now."

And the prostitute stared at him one long moment, then snatched up the satchel of coins, pulling on her clothes.

*****

The day Kakashi beat him, he was humiliated. It wasn't enough that he lost the match. They jeered at him, and Obito knew, as he always did, that he was an outsider, that he didn't belong.

He was sitting at the edge of the river when Rin came out from nowhere. Wordlessly, she sat beside him, not saying anything and waiting for him to speak.

"I'm a failure," Obito said, finally. He looked at his hands; bruised knuckles, the scrap of bandage tied around his arm. "They're all right. I shouldn't even be here."

Across from them, the setting sun was a blaze of colors. Burnt out reds and bright orange streaks turning in every direction. "That's not true," Rin said, and the streak of golden light caught her face. The wind rose, and she moved a hand to push back her hair. "For what it's worth, I'm glad that you're here."

He looked up at her. She was looking out into the horizon, hair stirring in the soft breeze.

Nohara Rin. The only person who was kind to him. The only one who cared if he was there or gone.

Eyes filled with a warmth he couldn't explain, and Obito hunched into himself, pulling his goggles down and pulling his knees to his chest. Wordlessly, Rin rubbed soothing circles against his back until he leaned against her, squeezing his eyes.

Now, years later, he sat alone in the dark, hands clenching into fists. There was a tightness to his neck and shoulders and a burning behind his good eye.

There was a scar on his left arm from when Rin had stitched him, years ago. The scar was raised and jagged, and quietly he ran his fingers over the pearly bump, remembering. Gentle fingers curling around his wrist, a soft halo of blue chakra, healing him. A soothing warmth easing the pain.

In the next room, Deidara was snoring. Quietly, Obito adjusted his mask and looked out the window, at the bones of naked trees, and at the darkness that was streaked with the light of a solitary moon.

*****

2.

The tavern was crowded and noisy, and Rin followed Obito uncomfortably as he and Deidara sat at a table in middle of the room. Deidara was drunk and laughing and Obito was sitting next to him, clearly irritated. Rin watched as he cast a thin genjutsu over his errant partner that made him want to go to bed.

Rin sat next to him. She always felt uneasy sitting close to him when he was with others, preferring to watch him from a higher vantage point - the top corner of a room, on the ledge of a windowsill. Now she sat next to him and waited while Obito stared silently at the table, his Sharingan glittering from the eyelet of his mask.

"What's with the mask," someone said, and Rin looked up to see a prostitute leaning in front of him.

Rin stood up from the bench, backing away slowly as the prostitute sidled up next to Obito and started negotiating with him. 60 ryo for a blowjob. 100 for sex. Rin watched as Obito contemplated a minute, then reached to the side for his bag.

Rin knitted her fingers together, following them. She couldn't leave - something was drawing her here and she had to stay and watch him. Apprehensively, she floated behind the two of them as they walked heavily up the dark wooden staircase, tried to stay out of the way when the prostitute stepped inside and Obito shut the door with an authoritative click. The prostitute stepped forward to unzip his pants and Rin averted her eyes.

The room was dark. Against the wall, Rin could see the movement of shadows. Could hear soft wet sounds and the rustling of cloth. Her cheeks burned and if she were alive she would run out from the room as fast as she could. And then,

"That is enough," Obito said, and Rin turned to see him zipping up his clothes. "Your money is on the dresser. I do not require anything further." The prostitute straightened.

"But you didn't get off."

Rin watched as Obito strode across the room, pulling open his bag.

"Look," the prostitute said, standing. "I can't read your mind. You need to tell me what's wrong."

Rin sucked in her breath. Obito stopped.

"What did you say to me?" Obito said, and Rin could feel the potential for violence coiling beneath the surface. The prostitute blinked, uncertainly.

"I said, you need to tell me what you like. If I'm doing something wrong--"

"Get out," Obito said.

"Wait, what?"

"Leave," Obito said. "Now."

And the prostitute stared at him one long moment, then snatched up the satchel of coins, pulling on her clothes.

The door closed. Obito stood in the center of the room, shaking.

He was breathing hard, and it wasn't until he pulled off his mask that Rin could see the rims of his eyes were dark and shining. She sat on the bed and watched as he strode in front of her, then sat down heavily beside her.

Silence. Obito pressed the heel of his hand to his good eye, sniffing and dry-swallowing as he gritted his teeth and furiously tried to calm himself. He never let himself cry outright. Tears slipped down the sides of his face and he swiped at them angrily.

Rin rested her cheek against his back, leaning against him and wrapping her arms around his waist. She felt him relax. He took a shuddery breath then straightened, putting back on his mask.

Her eyes were filled with compassion as she watched him stand.

He stepped toward the window. Rin stepped behind him, sliding an open palm across his back, and he bowed his head as if he could feel her.

*****

3.

She perches on top of the refrigerator, watching as Obito gets ready. His movements are precise, exact, and Rin watches as he does the same thing he did every morning.

He wakes up. Takes his medications. Gets dressed, black turtleneck beneath the green flak jacket. Goes to the kitchen to grab a piece of fruit or bread before bounding down the metal stairs.

Sometimes there are slight variations - sometimes Obito would skip breakfast altogether - but Rin follows him anyway. Time moves differently as a ghost, and Rin experiences Obito's days in flashes. Flash, and he completes another mission. Flash, and now he’s back home.

Time slows when Obito doesn't have missions.

Rin sits in the corner of Obito's bedroom, watching him as he sleeps. It’s 5 AM, but he has an alarm set for 6 even though he has no missions. Rin's chakra builds. It’s just enough to flick the alarm switch off. Other guardian spirits could directly intervene in their charges, shape their fates and mold their destiny. Rin’s satisfied if she can help Obito with his alarm.

Obito stirs. Slowly his eyes blink open, only to see the clock blinking with a cheerful "8:02 AM" on the digital display. Rin watches as he starts to panic, but then remembers he has nothing to do today. She giggles to herself. If she were alive, she'd roll over in the bed next to him and hug him.

Bathroom. Brush teeth. Medications. He pads barefoot to the kitchen and opens the refrigerator, which is empty except for a random energy drink and a bag of gummy bears Kakashi had given him. He had absently tossed them in there, which Rin found cutely endearing. Obito looks at the bears and berates himself for being stupid, though, and he plucks the candy from the shelf and tosses it in the trash.

He stands in the middle of the kitchen, and Rin can hear the entire monologue to himself: should he go out and get food? Could he wait? He doesn't want to leave the apartment today. His eyes still hurt from the last mission, so he can't kamui there. This is annoying.

Rin glances around the kitchen. Floating upwards, she slips through the closed cupboards and drifts through the cabinets, until she finds the old box of granola bars he had shoved in with the dishes when he wasn't paying attention. Like a cat whose whiskers could tell the faintest change in the vibrations in the air, Obito turns, sees the spot in the cabinet, and remembers the granola bars.

Rin preens. She’s a good guardian spirit. Obito flips over the box and sees the expiration date had passed two months ago.

Her consciousness fades, and she experiences the rest of Obito's day in flashes: cleaning the bathroom, scrubbing the shower and the sink. He has a pile of laundry and no other clean clothes, and Rin follows him as he pours laundry detergent directly into the washer without measuring it. She blinks and two hours pass, he’s sitting on the floor going through a stack of mail and unpaid bills; blinks again and it’s nighttime, he’s standing in his kitchen. She watches as Obito sighs annoyed at his empty refrigerator.

He’s in the convenience store again, looking at various cups of ramen. "Get fruit," Rin says, and her voice is the barest whisper. Obito looks up, her voice subconsciously reaching him. He walks over and palms a couple bananas, setting them in his basket, before grabbing a few cans of beer.

Rin frowns. Obito pays, and she watches as the cashier bags Obito's breakfast and dinner - a few bags of snacks, two bananas, and the beer, and Rin kicks herself for not telling him to pick up a bento or at the very least a few riceballs. Obito pays, bowing politely at the cashier and picks up his bags.

She isn't experiencing time like flashes now, she’s fully inhabiting the space beside him. Rin follows him as he walks down the block, as he turns the corner to the darkened street and then the rusty metal stairs to his apartment.

Shower. Change of clothes. Peel the banana. Rin watches as Obito goes through all of this, before lying sideways on the couch.

This is strange. Rin's consciousness usually would ebb around this time, when Obito didn't think about anything, just stared listlessly at the TV. Rin hovers. Obito stays still a moment, then gets up with purpose. He walks up to the little shrine he has in the corner of the kitchen, then sets down a banana as an offering to her.

She can hear his thoughts perfectly: I should probably cut this for her, and he picks it back up again. She watches as he meticulously peels the banana and cuts up a few slices, setting them on a little dish to put in front of the shrine.

Rin smiles. He’s always leaving little offerings for her: a wildflower, plucked furtively while he was pretending to be Tobi in the Akatsuki; a small book of matches that the tavern had decorated with curly hearts. Even as he’d set down those offerings, he'd silently berate himself because they were stupid and random, but Rin could sense the earnest side to him too, because he was sure Rin would like them.

She watches him get ready for bed. Turning off the light, he curls on his side and pulls up the covers, staring out at the darkness of the room. Wordlessly Rin joins him in the bed and curls up around him.

There are a few surefire times she knows Obito can feel her: at the moment before he drifts off to sleep, and then again when he starts to wake. Not fully conscious, he could take in the subtle sensations of Rin's spirit lying next to him, the weight of her arm draped around him. She'd curl her body up against his back, pressing her face to his shoulderblades, and she'd feel him shift and exhale in response. Sometimes, he'd hug a pillow, as if unconsciously wanting to hug her in his sleep. She’s been doing this for years, she’d long ago stopped feeling self-conscious. He'd start to drift to sleep and she'd squeeze him, hear him quietly sigh and cuddle him.

You work so hard, Obito, Rin thinks, and she nestles against him.

I wish I could do more to protect you.

*****

4.

"Ne," Hashi says. "Do you think it's possible to bring back a spirit of someone who died as a child, but have them come back grown?"

Madara scoffs. "Of course it is," Madara says. "You need only clone a grown body for them inhabit."

"But mentally, would they still be a child, though?"

Madara looks at her. "What are you thinking," Madara asks.

Hashi claps her hands. "I want to resurrect Nohara Rin so Obito can have a girlfriend!"

Madara starts coughing. "Woman, what--"

"I brought back Izuna, didn't I? And that was without a body, we could just exhume her remains here--"

"Woman, first of all, there is no way to know if she would actually 'date' my idiot protégé, more than likely if she were to see him, wallowing in his pathetic apartment and subsisting on convenience-store cup ramen, she wouldn't at all be attracted to him--"

"Huh."

"--And secondly, she was just a girl when she died. So even if you brought her back, that whole point is moot."

"Eh...." Hashi leans back. "It's true, her body died when she was just a teenager, but her spirit lives on, right? Obito even said he spoke to her on the other side, she said she was always watching him. She's been his guardian spirit--"

"Tch."

"Look at Izuna!" Hashi says. "Izuna hates me because he remembers all the things you told him when you used to pray for him. He was your guardian spirit - he was watching over you all this time."

"And?"

"And it's the same with Obito and Rin. Her body may have died when she was young, but her spirit is the same age as him." Hashi sits back.

"He just seems so lonely," Hashi says. "I just want him to have the same happiness we do. I just want to help him."

Madara frowns. "I don't think that's possible for him."

"Well it's your fault he's like this. You kind of owe him."

"And who else are you going to bring back? The mother of the Uzumaki brat? The hapless Hyuuga Obito killed? Izuna was able to restore himself because he has the Sharingan, that won't be the case for anyone else."

"Hm. I guess you're right," Hashi says. She frowns.

"I guess I should go replace the body, then--"

"What?" Madara says.

******

There is a spot of dried ash on the table from where Hashi had placed Rin's femur. She didn't dig up the whole body - just enough to tether her spirit before summoning her. Madara rolls his eyes and helps her toss the bone back into the grave.

"I cannot believe you disinterred her body," Madara says. He shovels with purpose, throwing dirt onto the hole in the grave. "Feckless! Irresponsible! Impulsive! You of all people should know better than to engage in this sort of lunacy."

"Well I mean," Hashi shovels another mound of dirt, "I am two for two currently."

"So you modified the jutsu to bring her back to life fully?"

"Mm." Hashi shovels more dirt. "Instead of an undead zombie, she'd come back as flesh and blood. I could do that by modifying my Mokuton."

"Creating life out of chakra, I see." Another shovelful of dirt. "It would have been an interesting experiment."

"Well I wrote out the hand seals and the summoning formation, if you want to see it."

Madara nods. "I've always taken you for someone who relied on raw power alone. I'd be curious to see how you apply actual theory with it."

They pat the ground flat and head back home.

****

"Izuna." Madara and Hashi slip off their sandals. "We are home."

"Daddy!" Their daughter runs to the door. "I brought that lady back to life, Daddy!"

Hashi and Madara whirl around.

"Um." Nohara Rin clutches a towel around her body. "Hello."

In the kitchen, Izuna scowls.

*****

"Rin-chan, let me show you something!"

"What is it?" Rin says. Hashi motions for her to follow.

"Do you know what this is?" Hashi says. She steps proudly to the fridge. "This is a refrigerator! It keeps things cold through something called 'electricity' - it's like chakra generated through wires!"

"Moron. Nohara Rin was alive in this era, she knows what a refrigerator is," Madara says. Hashi looks around.

"Do you know what a computing machine is?"

Rin blinks. "Computing....machine?"

"It connects to something called the 'internet' where you can look things up and post 'cat memes.' Do you know how to type?"

"Um." Rin looks down, timidly. "I could type a little."

"Ooh! Well in this era everybody types, so. That's probably something you'll have to work on."

Rin looks at herself in the mirror. Her reflection doesn't surprise her so much - she supposes her concept of self had aged along with Obito - but the flesh and bone of an actual body is jarring to her. She used to be like air, and now she has heft and takes up physical space. Hashi steps around behind her.

"My hair is long," Rin says. She touches the brown locks, which fall below her shoulders. "Can we cut it?"

"Of course, Rin-chan! Want me to cut it for you?"

"If you don't mind." Rin frowns at herself in the mirror.

Her memories are still jumbled. She remembers Obito joining her, and for a brief moment, she was happy. They could finally ascend to a higher plane of existence, but suddenly his soul was ripped away from her. "I, uh, resurrected him," Hashi explained. She rubbed the back of her neck. "It was kind of a happy accident."

Now Rin pulls on her shirt, tugging it down while Hashi steps around her with a kunai. "Okay, Rin-chan! Let's cut your hair."

"Moron. Use scissors," Madara says. Hashi furrows her brow.

"What are 'scissors'?"

Madara holds up a pair of child safety scissors, the kind his daughter used in school.

"So you've been watching over him all this time?" Hashi's voice floats as she snips Rin's hair. Snip snip snip. Rin nods.

"I died. I remember seeing a flash of white, but Obito was crying. And in the confusion I wanted to make sure he was alright."

Snip. "Was he?" Hashi snips quickly. She pauses as Rin shakes her head.

"He was crying." Rin frowns as she remembers it: Obito covered in blood and clutching her body, the plant-like white vines jutting out through the darkness like trees. "He cries easily when he's upset. Kakashi used to make fun of him for that." On her lap, her hands close into fists. "The only way he could keep going was to pretend he was Madara and that he had no weakness." Rin pauses. She looks at her reflection in the mirror. "He suffered all these years with no one to comfort him."

"You really love him, huh Rin-chan?"

Rin blushes. "Oh...well..."

Hashi grins. "I'll bet he'll be really happy to see you!"

"Mm." Rin smiles, looking down and blushing. Hashi laughs, shaking Rin's shoulder.

*****

5.

"The cursed seal tag I placed on your heart has disappeared," Madara said. He raised Obito's body upwards, sneering at him. "A cursed seal tag meant to turn you into a puppet, one that would restrict your movements should you try to the remove it. Naturally, you couldn't kill yourself either. It seems you knew about it, Obito."

Rin's hands clenched into fists as she watched. She knew the reason why Obito knew.

*****

Obito knew about the cursed tag in his heart because he tried to kill himself after Nagato's defection. Rin watched as the Black Zetsu rose out from the wall to tell Obito what happened: that Nagato wasted the Rinne Tensei on Konoha and gave up his life. There was no one left to awaken Madara. "What will you do now, Obito?" Black Zetsu said. He started to meld into the wall. "Once again, it seems that you have failed."

Obito was silent. From behind the mask, he radiated an eerie calm, standing straight and saying nothing. The Black Zetsu disappeared and Rin watched as he sat heavily on the bed, appearing as if he were mulling over his options.

He picked up a kunai and pressed an experimental cut across his wrist; as expected, his healing ability was too great, the skin knitted shut completely before he finished cutting into it. He was still wearing his mask; Rin couldn't see his face. As always his actions had purpose; his movements did not show a hint of despair.

He crossed the room. Rin followed him, watching as he methodically opened a few drawers, before drawing out a rope. The length was so long, the width was so wide, and he tied it into a noose expertly.

"Obito," Rin said, but he crossed the room again, unable to hear her. Rin followed, watching him. "Obito, don't."

He threw the noose over the rafter.

Rin knit her fingers together, starting to cry as Obito pulled the noose over his neck and stepped onto the chair.

There was a pop, then a sickening thud as his neck broke, and Rin could feel the elusive shimmer of his body trying to put itself back together, when the noose tightened and snapped through bone.

Rin sucked in her breath. Tears filled her eyes and she fell on her knees, weeping. She couldn't feel him. There wasn’t anything she could do to help him.

There was a noise, a gargled wheeze, and Rin's head snapped up to see Obito struggling. His heart had stopped but was inexplicably beating again, and after a few futile attempts to loosen the noose he used his kamui to phase through it, dropping suddenly and landing on the floor with a thud.

Obito coughed. The ligature marks on his neck started to heal.

*****

He came up with a new plan.

He brutally dispatched with Konan, no longer willing to stand by in the shadows. He threw himself at the forefront, threatening to wage war unless the kages capitulated. In the darkness, Obito stood in front of the mirror, pushing back a lock of tangled hair and looking into the maw of an exposed socket. Slowly he lifted his hand, and placed the Rinnegan back in.

She could hear his thoughts perfectly, like she could all his prayers.

With these eyes, I can bring you back. He looked up, a thin trickle of blood dripping down the side of his newly implanted Rinnegan. I will get the Eight and Nine Tails and become the jinchuuriki in place of Madara. And once I activate the Moon's Eye and create the new world, I will give up my life and bring you back.

Rin sat in the corner, holding her arms, watching him.

*****

In the days following the Fourth Shinobi War, Obito contemplated killing himself.

There was a trial. Rin watched as Obito stood in front of the five kage, head bowed and eyes downcast, as they discussed his fate. Should they blind him? Seal his powers? Should they execute him? The handcuffs around his wrists served no purpose except to make everyone feel safe; he could escape from them at any moment.

The Mizukage wanted him dead. Tsunade argued to let Konoha keep him. Onoki was concerned about Madara but Gaara and A agreed with Tsunade.

The verdict came - he would be released to Konoha, where they would dispatch of him as they saw fit. Obito shuffled, head bowed and a shadow over his eyes, as the villagers around him jeered at him.

Rin watched. Heart in her throat, she watched as Obito sat in the dark of his room, slowly handling a kunai and pressing the blade flat against his wrist. He didn't bother trying to cut himself; his healing ability was too great, any cut would heal instantly.

He sat alone in his empty apartment, staring out the unadorned window and watching the sunset. Rin sat beside him and could see how the streaks of orange light slowly gave way to the darkening shadows, the sulfur glow of streetlamps lighting the streets below. Obito no longer had the cursed seal, he could kill himself in any way he wanted to. He would just need to get around his healing ability.

One swig of liquor for courage, and Rin watched as Obito stood restlessly and grabbed a short sword, moving with purpose. He pressed the blade into his abdomen, taking a breath. His hands shook as he slowly pressed in.

And then he threw it to the side. The sword clattered. Obito sank onto his knees, huddling into himself. Watching, Rin knelt beside him, pressing her hands onto his shoulders, trying her best to comfort him. There were times where she knew he could almost feel her presence, and he blinked and leaned against her as if he could.

*****

Years passed. Rin followed him as Obito slowly got used to a routine.

The medications helped. If he kept his mind off the past, he could function semi-decently. Rin watched, heartened, as Obito helped an old lady cross the street, chatting pleasantly with her as he helped her with her walker. Rin smiled to herself. He looked happy for once, and the old woman thanked him, telling him she had a granddaughter, if he was interested, she would love to introduce her to him.

A flicker of pain, and then Obito's face darkened.

She followed him back to the apartment, where he lit a candle for her. Sitting on the bed, the yellow candlelight flickered over his face, making a soft haze of shadows in the empty bedroom.

"They want to make me Hokage, Rin."

Rin slowly sat next to him, listening. Obito hung his head. "It was my dream. When I was younger, I always imagined this. How they'd finally acknowledge me. I'd be so happy...."

His eyes closed. A tear dripped. "I miss you," he said. He hugged himself, taking a shuddery breath. "I know you're watching, Rin, but I still miss you."

"Obito," Rin said, and she pressed her hand flat against the muscle of his back. Slowly she leaned against him, hugging him.

She loved him. All the years she had followed him, seen his suffering and loneliness, she hated that she couldn't comfort him. All she wanted to do was wrap her arms around him, to kiss him and tell him how proud she was of him. That he was doing the best he could, she knew how hard he was working. That even if he hated himself, she still loved him.

The candle flickered. Rin looked up, her consciousness suddenly getting pulled elsewhere.

Was Kakashi saying a prayer for her? No, it didn't feel like that. The candle flickered again and Rin rose, looking up around her--

A sudden gust of wind, a sharp, disorienting vortex, and Rin lurched into consciousness, suddenly aware of cold metal beneath her body, and the dark, purple eyes of a young girl's Rinnegan.

"Oh, shit," Izuna said, and Rin threw a bewildered glance at Madara's panicked younger brother, while the little girl beamed happily at her.

*****

6.

"I cannot accept this," the Mizukage says.

Terumi Mei and her advisors sit at the edge of the table, the other kage watching as Obito sits flanked by Tsunade and the village elders. Obito lowers his head while the Mizukage points accusingly.

"He has committed war crimes against our village," the Mizukage says. "He committed any number of atrocities as the leader of the Akatsuki. He was the one who drove Yagura-sama mad."

"He was already mad to begin with," Tsunade says.

"That may be," the Mizukage says, crossing her arms. "But we cannot have diplomatic relations with Konoha if Uchiha Obito is made its figurehead."

The other kages glance at each other uncomfortably.

"Idiots," Tsunade says. She strides down the hallway, her haori flapping, while Obito follows after her. "In all my time gambling, I know when someone is bluffing. They depend on Konoha for our wealth and our aide. No one will be severing diplomatic relations."

"Tsunade-sama, I don't think this is right. I think you should give the title of Hokage to Kakashi," Obito says.

Tsunade stops. "Are you questioning my judgment?"

"No, of course not, however--"

"Then I want you to stop talking about Kakashi." Tsunade starts walking again. "He is too lackadaisical for this post, anyway."

Obito collapses in his room. This whole thing is terrible. He wishes he could just curl up and die, or at the very least just stay in his apartment.

He flops onto his bed, then rolls over, hugging a pillow. If Rin were here, he'd put his head in her lap and wail about how stupid he is. Why the hell did he think he could be Hokage in the first place?

He knows why. He reaches over to the nightstand and plucks the school picture of Madara's daughter. She had given it to him at their last training session. In the picture, the little girl is beaming wide, the background black with gaudy colored lasers crisscrossing behind her. A typical kindergarten picture.

There is a subtle shift in the air.

"Why is it you're always here when I'm at my lowest?" Obito says without looking, and Madara frowns behind him in distaste.

"I do not understand," Madara says. "You once held the world in the palm of your hand, and yet you lie there whimpering while lesser nin trample on your legacy."

"I have no legacy. Just a trail of bodies and people who rightfully hate me."

"And you are bothered by this?" Madara says. Obito pulls the pillow over his head.

"Go away."

Madara sighs. "As much as I'd like to correct you for your mistakes, that isn't the reason why I'm here."

Madara walks around the bedroom. He stops at the dresser, looking at Obito's photos.

"Nohara Rin is currently living in our basement," Madara says. He picks up a picture frame, studying it. Obito lifts his head.

"Rin?"

Madara sets the picture frame down. "Apparently my idiot wife worked out a modification to the resurrection jutsu, and my little girl used her Rinnegan to activate it."

Obito sits up. "Rin is alive?"

"She is indeed, and she's asking for you."

Obito takes a breath. He shakes his head. "I don't want her to see me like this," Obito says.

"Oh? What's this? Are you really that cowardly now? I have to say I'm disappointed," Madara says, frowning at him. "Well. No matter. The message is delivered. I can understand why you wouldn't want to show yourself. If I were as pathetic as you, I would want to hide as well."

Obito doesn't look at him as Madara crosses the threshold. The air settles and he's alone again, sitting in the dark of his bedroom.

*****

7.

"Sensei!" Rin says, and Minato beams at her.

"Rin!" Minato says, and he hugs her. Rin breaks away, smiling wide, and looks over at Kakashi.

"Kakashi!"

"Rin."

They hug. Rin gives Kakashi an extra hard squeeze, and Kakashi smiles happily beneath his mask.

At the periphery, Obito hovers. Rin laughs, chatting happily with her old teammates. He watches her brush her hair back as she tells them how she was resurrected. It's only then that she turns and sees him.

"Obito," Rin says.

Obito takes a breath. "Rin."

Rin beams at him.

She approaches him gingerly, the way she would a stray cat. She smiles kindly at him. "Is it okay if I hug you?"

Obito's throat is dry. He nods.

Rin smiles shyly at him, then wraps her arms around him. She feels soft and warm and it surprises him. Timidly, Obito rests his arms around her waist, and Rin pulls him close, squeezing his chest and resting her cheek against his ribs. "You're a lot taller than I remember," Rin says. She beams at him. "When I saw you at the void, you were a lot shorter."

Obito smiles shyly at her. Rin smiles back at him.

Kakashi clears his throat. "Sensei and I are gonna head back," Kakashi says. "You two should catch up. I'll talk with you later."

*****

He looks different than she remembers. Broad-shouldered and lean, he moves with a quiet grace that is surprising to her. As a ghost, she didn't quite appreciate how much he had physically changed. "So," Rin says, smiling. "Is that tight black shirt you're wearing so you can show off your body? Did you pick that outfit on purpose?"

"What?" Obito's eyes widen. "It- no. It's just what I had that was clean..." Obito fumbles. Rin clasps his hand and laughs.

"I'm kidding. Relax." She shakes him playfully by the elbow. "I'm here. You wanted to talk to me, right?"

He gives her a small smile. "Yeah," he says. They each fall quiet. Their footsteps echo in the street as they walk, a few couples chatting and laughing as they walk past them.

"Obito, I--"

"Rin, I--"

They stop, then laugh awkwardly. "You go first," Rin says. Obito shakes his head.

"No, you," Obito says, smiling. Rin smiles and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Behold. My idiot apprentice," Madara says. He is watching them from the eyes of a Sharingan'd bird, using a genjutsu to share the image with Hashi. "That woman has been watching over him for the last few decades, she is ripe for the taking. But my idiot protégé has no game."

"Ooh, look at you with the colloquialisms," Hashi says. Madara motions for her to be quiet. They listen as Rin starts speaking.

"It's so strange being here. Having a physical body. I feel like I've been watching you for years. Maybe because I have been," Rin says. Her eyes flick upward, meeting his.

Obito hesitates. "Rin, I--"

"Yes?"

Obito lowers his eyes. "There's a lot you don't know about me, Rin."

His face is drawn, and he seems to steel himself, as if Rin could reject him at any moment. Gently, Rin touches her hands to his chest, stepping forward.

"Try me," Rin says, smiling.

*****

She laughs and lands clumsily on her back on his mattress, throwing her arms around him as he clings to her, breathing hard and thrusting roughly. The nightstand rocks and the little picture frame of their genin team shakes, and Rin laughs, smiling and kissing him.

He gasps and pulses hard inside her, before collapsing exhausted on top of her body. Rin smiles and kisses him. He beams ruefully as she grins and fluffs his hair.

"So," she says, smiling at him. "That was your first kiss, right?"

Obito laughs, embarrassed, and drops his head against her shoulder.

*****

8.

This is what happened earlier.

The night was quiet. They walked down the street, side-by-side. She was standing close enough to him that she could brush her knuckles against his hand.

"Rin, I--"

"Yes?"

Obito lowered his eyes. "There's a lot you don't know about me, Rin."

They stopped walking. Rin stepped in front of him, lightly touching the front of his chest. "Try me," she said, smiling. Obito lifted his eyes.

"I've killed people."

"I know," Rin said, softly. "I was there when you killed them."

Obito blinked. Rin rubbed his arm. "I think I was haunting you," she said. "It's hard to piece everything together, but I know you talked to me, and I know I saw the same things you did."

Obito furrowed his brow. "How is that possible?"

"I don't know. I just remember you crying, how upset you were when you held my body. And...I think I stayed to make sure you were okay." Rin looked up at him. "I'd been watching ever since."

They started walking again. Rin looked up at the shops, at the street lights above them and their reflection in the store windows as she spoke. "Sometimes, I think I'd lose consciousness. I think I'd go where everybody else goes, but then you'd light a candle for me and I'd come back. So whatever you have to tell me, it won't surprise me."

Obito didn't look at her. "I'm sorry I made you watch that."

Rin smiled at him. "Can I ask you a question?"

"What is it?"

"What was with that weird Tobi act, when you were in the Akatsuki? You looked ridiculous," Rin said, and Obito laughed, embarrassed.

"I...I think I was just blowing off some steam," Obito said. He blushed, rubbing his neck. "Madara is such an imposing figure, I just wanted to do something stupid." And then a thought occurred to him. His eyes widened. "Rin, did you see me when--"

"When what?"

"When I--" A flush. He didn't look at her.

"Oh," Rin said, realizing. "When you did things in private?"

Obito covered his face in his hands. "Oh god...."

"No, it's alright, I-- I mean, Obito, you called my name sometimes..."

"Oh god, don't say anything, I'm so embarrassed."

Rin laughed and kissed his shoulder, looping her arm around his elbow and pulling him close.

Obito jerked back, surprised, and Rin realized what she did. "Oh," Rin said. "I'm sorry--"

"No, no, I was just surprised--"

"I won't do it again," Rin said. "I'm sorry, I've been following you for so long, I forget I'm pretty much a stranger now, there's no reason you should be comfortable with me."

"I am comfortable with you. It's like you never left." He blushed, not looking at her. "I just thought you had feelings for Kakashi?"

"That was twenty years ago. Everyone in our class had a crush on Kakashi." Rin smiled. "I watched you for twenty years. You're pretty much my family."

"Rin?"

"Yeah?"

"May I kiss you?" Obito asked. She saw him steel himself, nervously.

Rin beamed at him. "Yeah," she said. She pushed up on her tiptoes and pressed a chaste kiss on his lips. Obito blushed. Rin giggled and wrapped her arm around him.

"That was your first kiss, right?"

Obito nodded, not looking at her. "I'd...I'd never been with anyone...."

Rin rubbed his back. "Well what about that prostitute in Iwagakure?"

Obito's eyes widened. "You saw that?!"

"I, uh. I pretty much was in the same room...."

"Oh god." Obito covered his face again. "I'm so embarrassed." Rin laughed, hugging him.

"Your apartment is close by, right?"

"It is." Obito hesitated. "But Rin--"

"I'd like to, if you want to." Rin smiled softly, not looking at him. She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "I've been wanting to touch you for so long."

Obito took in a breath. "Rin." Rin spun on her heel to face him.

"Come on," she said, smiling. She grabbed his hand, pulling him forward.

*****

He can't stop kissing her.

Years of pent-up want, of crippling loneliness and a desperate need for comfort, spill over, and Obito clings to Rin the rest of the night. They kiss and she cuddles aggressively against his chest, because she knows how lonely he's been.

"Rin?"

"Yeah?"

Obito searches her eyes, faltering. "I love you," he says, softly. Rin smiles and snuggles against him.

"I love you too."


	3. Comparison/Kyuubi

Everyone talks about how similar Obito is to Madara: they’re both Uchiha, and they’re both ruthless at achieving their goals. This isn’t even accounting for their physical mannerisms, the speech patterns and the mocking one-liners, their style of fighting and the fact that they’re both taciturn men.

In Hashi’s opinion, though, Obito couldn’t be more different than Madara: Madara is hot-headed, prone to reckless displays of force if he’s irritated, giddy when he gets a new power, and has an almost idiotic need to dive headfirst into battle, a general not-thinking-things-through that he ends up justifying retroactively. He likes to toy with his enemies and draw things out for his amusement, even if delaying things is strategically unwise.

Obito, on the other hand, is cautious. He orchestrates from the shadows. He has plans and multiple contingency plans, and is able to scrap everything and start over if the situation warrants it. He is as calm and calculating as Madara is reckless and impulsive.

Hashi can see this dynamic play out now, as Obito argues with Madara.

"We're so sorry, Obito-san! But Madara-ojiichan acted so fast, we couldn't stop him, dattebayo!" Naruto says. Gai hangs his head.

"I am ashamed to say it, but even my Dynamic Entry of Heart-Pounding Love wasn't enough to stop him."

"It's alright, Gai, Naruto," Obito says. He glares at Madara. "This isn't your fault." Madara rolls his eyes extravagantly.

"To think that I have sunk so low as to be lectured by my idiot apprentice. There is nothing to talk about. There were no casualties," Madara says. "The only reason why I've deigned to come here is because of Hashirama."

Hashi elbows him in the ribs. Madara sniffs arrogantly.

"Madara: why the hell would you perform a fire jutsu of that size and magnitude in the middle of an elementary school playground? And then activate your Susanoo and then forcibly draw out and ride around on the Kyuubi?" In fact, there were multiple reports of Madara rampaging at the playground, riding on the Kyuubi with Naruto getting dragged along in the background. Madara shrugs.

"The idiot behind me makes it so easy, you should be talking to him," Madara says.

"Why?" Obito says. Madara crosses his arms.

"Uchiha Madara is not just some house husband."

"Oh god," Hashi says.

"That pissant father needed to be taught a lesson, and so I taught it well. He now knows never to cross me."

Hashi clarifies. "His kids were hogging the swings," Hashi says.

"This was over swings?" Obito says.

"A territorial dispute that could only be solved by a display of force." Madara crosses his arms. "I believe I schooled him thoroughly."

"I'm so sorry. They've been fighting over playground equipment for weeks, I didn't think it'd go this far, otherwise I would have gone with him," Hashi says.

Obito sighs. "At the very least, it appears nothing was damaged--"

"Of course nothing was damaged. I was in complete control at all times. And yet you call me in here like some apprehensive school marm."

*****

“You speak as if he’s some sort of mastermind. You forget that I was the one who came up with the original plan,” Madara says.

Hashi crosses her arms. “Okay then. So what was the plan?” Madara sniffs, loftily.

“Capture the bijou. Genjutsu the child in whom I implanted the Rinnegan. Make him weave the seals to activate the Rinne Tensei and resurrect me.”

“That’s it?” Hashi says.

“What do you mean, ‘that’s it’?” Madara says.

“I mean, that’s not really a plan, that’s more of like, a directive or an outline or a command…”

“Woman, how specific did you want me to be? It should have taken him a year or two, tops, to capture the bijou. And was he really so incompetent he couldn’t force a child to weave signs with genjutsu? Instead my pinheaded protégé decided to create a shadow organization, and then waste his time pretending to be the Mizukage so he could embezzle their money and avenge his precious Rin. And to what end? Why introduce so much complexity? Just get the bijou. Capture them. Get the child. Resurrect me.”

“Well….”

“The fact that the Moon’s Eye plan was false does not excuse his idiocy.”

“Ugh.”

*****

“'One or two years, tops’? What, are you kidding me?” Obito says. “First of all, the only bijou Madara ever caught was the Kyuubi, who was free-roaming at the time, not to mention Madara had two working Sharingan, I only had one eye.

"Secondly, 'find the child’? I asked him, 'Madara-san, where do I find the child?’ and he said, 'Find him in the Land of Fog and Rain.’ Okay. The Land of Fog and Rain is a fucking big country, where in the Land of Fog and Rain? 'Where the sky weeps and the mountains rise up like bones.’ Well how about an address? Does the child have a name? 'He is of Senju lineage.’ Yeah that doesn’t help me. Are you being vague on purpose?”

“And does he not realize how well-fortified the other countries are? And how fucking difficult they are to infiltrate? And how their jinchuuriki are all well-guarded secrets? I was going to capture the Three-Tails anyway, I could use my connections as Mizukage to get my people where they needed to be! And if that lunatic thinks it’s possible to do a bijou extraction and sealing by himself, he’s even more delusional than I thought he’d be.”

Kakashi and Rin stare at him.

“Yeah, maybe you shouldn’t be talking about this in the middle of the restaurant,” Kakashi says. Rin nods, emphatically. “Just a thought.”


	4. Marriage Certificate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obito and Rin try to get married. Solatium ficlets edited into chronological order.

1.

"Wait, we can't file this yet because I'm legally dead?" Rin says.

Obito and Rin stand at the window in front of the government official, a tired-looking Fire Country civil servant who has no idea about the goings-on in the shinobi world. The official sighs, pushes up his glasses, then slides the application back underneath the glass partition.

"I'm sorry. It says here Nohara Rin is deceased, date of death is marked 20 years ago."

Rin takes the papers back numbly. Obito leans toward the glass.

"Is there a way we can correct this? She's obviously not deceased," Obito says.

"You'll have to go to the social security office in the capital," the civil servant says. "Bring your proof of identity card and your birth certificate. If you don't have any of those documents you'll have to apply for them first. Once she's reinstated as a living person you can file this."

"Well that was a bust." Rin folds the application and tucks it into her purse. "How are we going to explain this? 'Actually, I've been dead, but now I'm alive and I'd like to marry the Hokage of our village'? How are we supposed to show proof that I've been alive when I haven't been?"

Obito sighs. "I should have just genjutsu'd them," Obito says. Rin whirls around.

"Eh? You can do that?! Obito! Why didn't you?!"

Obito blinks. "Because...I'm trying to be a good person?"

Rin groans and bangs her head against his shoulder. "Sorry," she says. Obito smiles and pats her on the head.

*****

2.

"Is this some kind of joke?" the civil servant said.

Madara and Hashi stood in front of the civil servant, watching with increasing bewilderment and anger on Madara's part as the civil servant scoffed at their paperwork. "We take identity theft very seriously here," the civil servant said. "Neither of you were able to provide proof of identification, you don't have birth certificates or personal ID numbers. You two didn't even bother to pick realistic aliases. Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama are historical figures, you would have had better luck if you chose Genghis Khan and Pocahontas. You're a woman, Senju Hashirama was a man."

"Wait wait wait, but I really am Senju Hashirama, see?" and Hashi clapped her hands and Sexy no Jutsu'd herself into her male version.

The civil servant looked over his glasses, unimpressed. He leaned around Hashi. "Next in line," the civil servant said.

Madara started, "Wait, how dare you? What do you mean, next in line?" while Hashi poofed back to her normal form and yelled, "Wait wait wait we're not done yet--"

"Next in line," the civil servant said. Madara pushed Hashi back, activating his Sharingan.

"And that's how we filed our marriage certificate!" Hashi says.

*****

3.

"Okay, Ms. Nohara, we have your re-issued birth certificate, your proof of identity number. We have here a voided death certificate, and proof that the body interred in Konoha cemetery isn't really yours."

Rin's eyes dart. "Uh..." The civil servant smiles.

"Congratulations," she says. She looks up from the computer. "You are now among the land of the living."

"Oh thank god." Rin breathes a sigh of relief while Obito beams happily.

Getting herself declared Not Dead had taken several weeks - lots of traveling back and forth to the capital, countless sworn affidavits, notarized letters and court hearings, and multiple applications to reissue her documents. The civil servant stamps Rin's file - ERRONEOUSLY DECEASED - and hands her the paperwork.

"And so we can file the marriage application now?" Rin says. She clasps Obito's hand, happily. The civil servant nods.

"Of course. And again, so sorry for the hold up. You know how it is, bureaucratic red tape. The computer won't even let us fill it in if everything's not in order." The woman types on the keyboard.

"Oh," the woman says. She frowns and squints at the screen. "Oh dear."

"What is it?" Rin says. The civil servant peers around the monitor.

"It says here Uchiha Obito died 20 years ago."

"What?!" Rin says.

"Shit," Obito says. And because he's not a good person, Obito tries genjutsu-ing the civil servant, who promptly covers her eyes and yanks down the shade in front of her window.

"Sir! Please deactivate your ninja eyes, Sir! Forcibly imposing your will on a civil servant for the purpose of expediting documentation is a crime!"

"Madara." Obito grits his teeth and deactivates his Sharingan. "Dammit."

Somewhere in the village, Madara sneezes.


	5. Elevator

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obito, Madara, and Kakashi get trapped in an elevator. Solatium ficlets edited into chronological order.

1.

They're in the sleek glass lobby of a civilian high-rise building, coming in for another meeting. Their escort smiles apologetically, then opens a slim suitcase. On the velvet lining are four syringes filled with some sort of serum.

"It's a synaptic dampener," the business escort explains. "It will inhibit you from molding chakra."

"Is this really necessary?" Obito says. Kakashi glances at Obito uneasily. The escort spreads her hands.

"My apologies. But my superiors have given me clear instructions that your being in the building is contingent upon receiving these injections."

Obito is about to refuse when Madara steps forward. "Give me the injection," Madara says.

Obito starts, "Madara--"

"A true shinobi is just as deadly without chakra as he is with it," Madara says. He turns. "Consider this checking our weapons at the door."

Obito's jaw tightens. Grudgingly he pushes up his sleeve, letting them give him the injection.

*****

There are two front-facing elevators in the lobby; it's too small to fit all of them, so the escort and the backup negotiators take one elevator, while Obito, Kakashi, and Madara take the other one.

"We're meeting at the 67th floor," the escort says. "Suite 652-A."

"Thank you," Obito says. The escort nods as the elevator doors close.

Kakashi leans toward Obito. "Obito. Why is Uchiha Madara here with us again?" They both peer back to the lobby, where Madara is messing with the leaves of an ornamental plant. Obito sighs.

"He got kicked out of the PTA and he threatened to burn down the school in retaliation."

"And so we're taking him to a high-stakes diplomatic meeting?" Kakashi says. Madara kicks the plant. The plant wobbles, but swings upright again.

"Hashi-san says he's been depressed being left out of the administration. This is relatively low stakes, and I'd also have the advantage of keeping an eye on him."

Madara punches the plant. The plant rocks again. "This is fake," Madara says. He strides toward them. "What are we waiting for? Let us take this 'elevator' to the 67th floor."

Kakashi presses the "up" button. The lights above the elevator doors blink.

Madara crosses his arms. "What is this contraption, anyway?"

"I'm not sure, from what I understand it's a room that's pulled up several storeys. It's what civilians use instead of taking the stairs," Obito says.

The elevators open. A crowd of business people step outside.

"This is kind of small," Kakashi says. He glances at Obito, frowning.

"Well what are we waiting for?" Madara says. He steps in, bedecked in his battle gear and his hair waving from the air vent above them. Kakashi glances over.

"Obito, would you rather take the stairs?" Kakashi says.

Obito stares up at the numbers above the elevator. "It's 67 floors."

Madara smirks. "Feeling a little claustrophobic, are we?"

Obito scowls, then walks in. The elevator doors close.

Ding. First floor. Second floor. Third. Madara cranes his neck, looking at the wonders of all this modern technology, while Kakashi thumbs through their papers. Obito stands silently in the corner.

"Hm," Madara says, crossing his arms. "I suppose I was a little hasty accepting that synaptic dampener. You could have used your Kamui to teleport us up there. A pity. But I suppose it's fine to experience life as a mere civilian, at least once in awhile."

"We're almost there," Kakashi says to Obito, and he points at the numbers. 30. 31.

The elevator grinds to a stop.

"The devil is this?" Madara says, as the lights flicker before changing from normal to red. Kakashi presses the button.

"I think we've stopped," Kakashi says.

"Well that much is obvious. How do we get it to start?"

"There's an emergency button," Kakashi says, and he presses it.

Madara's eyes slide sideways as Obito stares intently at the corner of the elevator, muscles tense and not saying anything. Kakashi keeps pressing the button. "I don't think it's doing anything, I think it's just making a sound," Kakashi says.

Madara can see Obito is struggling to maintain his breathing. The muscles in his neck and shoulders are tense. Battle ready. He can see the thrum of his pulse beating rapidly at the skin of his neck.

And then the elevator rocks, the red lights flickering again. The three men stumble.

"What was that?" Kakashi says. He presses the emergency button again. The elevator is dark except for the ambient glow of red lights from the floor.

The speaker on the panel crackles. "Did somebody call for help?"

"Yes, yes." Kakashi presses the button. "Our elevator stopped moving and the lights went out."

From the corner of Madara's eye, he can see Obito fumble in his pocket, before shakily pulling out a small bottle of pills. His hands are trembling as he shakes out the anxiolytic, quickly popping it into his mouth and dry swallowing. "Calm yourself, Obito," Madara says, in a low voice. His eyes slide sideways, meeting his. "This is nothing compared to what we've faced before."

"Okay, we've notified our technicians. They're currently offsite but they will be here shortly."

"Do you know how long it will take?" Kakashi asks the technician. The speaker crackles.

"We don't have an ETA for their arrival, but usually a couple hours, including repairs."

Obito swallows, trying to steady his breathing. The walls around him seem to be dark and shrinking.

"I'm sorry, did you say 'a couple hours'?" Kakashi says.

"Yes, a couple hours, unfortunately."

Obito can't breathe. His throat is constricting. He hunches over himself, sinking onto the floor, his breaths sharp and shallow and his heart beating rapidly.

"Obito?" Kakashi rushes over. "Obito, are you okay?" He runs back over to the intercom. "Hello? Hello can you hear me? My friend is having a medical emergency--"

Rocks. A thousand rocks, crashing on top of him. The feeling of helplessness. He can't move. He can't breathe--

"Obito!" Madara says, sharply, and Obito's head snaps up, jolted by the sound of Madara's voice. It's as if he's in a deep, dark pit, where above him is a sliver of light, a coin-shaped opening where he can barely see Madara's head peeking in.

"Obito, listen to me. Think of the world that we trained in. The genjutsu world of endless white space. Think of that world. What would be in it?"

"I-I can't..."

"Focus!" Madara snaps.

"Gray skies." Obito swallows, then takes a breath. "Rin."

"And what would she be doing?"

Obito imagines it. Rin in her summer dress. The wind rising. Storm clouds rolling while she holds her skirt down and laughs.

Obito's eyes lose focus. Madara snaps his fingers. "I asked you a question. What would she be doing."

"Standing in the grass, in the wind outside."

"I cannot see this scene you're describing me, what else."

"Storm clouds," Obito says, and he can see the image with his words. "Cold air, the treetops moving outside."

"Excellent," Madara says, and Kakashi watches, awestruck as Madara crouches in front of Obito, staring into his eyes. "She is the reason you've done this all for, is she not?"

In the darkness of the pit, Madara reaches out hand. Obito reaches upward and clasps it.

Madara rises. "Have you calmed yourself?"

Obito nods, taking a breath. "Thank you," he says. Madara sniffs.

"Do not thank me," Madara says. He crosses his arms. "If my idiot apprentice were to shit himself, the two of us would be in even worse of a time."

"Tch." Obito stands and glares.

*****

2.

"Does anyone have a watch in this sorry place, or must we guestimate the time?"

They're all sitting on the floor of the elevator, Obito with his elbows on his knees while Madara idly twirls his battle fan. Funnily enough, the civilians didn't recognize it as a weapon, so when Madara breezily told them it was ceremonial they believed him.

Kakashi holds out his watch. "It's been an hour and a half, now."

"Ah, excellent," Madara says. "Clearly your subordinate is more well-prepared. You would do well to learn from him, Obito."

Obito glares at him. "Obviously we wouldn't be in this mess had you not agreed to take that synaptic dampener."

Madara shrugs. "I just assumed the assassination attempt would be more interesting this way."

"Assassination attempt?" Obito and Kakashi stare. Madara stretches, eyes closing luxuriously

"Clearly, if one wanted to kill the Hokage of the Hidden Village of the Leaf, the best way would be to isolate him from his companions, deprive him of his weapons, and take away his ability to weave chakra." Madara's eyes open. "I just thought weathering an assassination attempt without our usual abilities would be interesting."

Obito balks. "Wait, you suspected this was a trap - and you willingly led us in?!"

"You are the Hokage." Madara sniffs. "You could have overruled me at any time if you wanted to."

"Why would you do that?!" Obito says. Madara shrugs.

"I thought fighting a civilian assassin on their level would be interesting." His eyes glitter. "It has been awhile since I've been challenged. Other than Hashirama, I've yet to meet a worthy opponent. The thought of it makes my war blood boil."

Obito throws an incredulous look at Kakashi, who's reading an ero novel he had snuck in his pack. "Kakashi are you hearing this?" Obito says.

Kakashi turns a page. "No one's attacked us yet," Kakashi says. Madara frowns.

"What are you reading?" Madara says. Kakashi doesn't look up.

"It's an ero novel. Do you want to see?"

He hands the book to Madara, whose eyes widen.

"What sort of trash am I reading?" Madara says.

"Oh, this is the best part," Kakashi says. "The damsel has awoken to find she's surrounded by seven princes, and--"

Kakashi stops. His eyes grow vacant, rolling back behind his head.

"Kakashi?" Obito sits up as Kakashi wobbles, then crumples onto the floor. "Kakashi!"

"He is fine." Madara flips through the novel. He looks up and Obito can see his Sharingan is activated. "The genjutsu worked. It seems my visual prowess is returning."

"You can use your Sharingan?" Obito looks around. Madara sniffs.

"Can you not activate it?" Madara says.

"No, of course not, my chakra's dampened, I couldn't mold it if my life depended on it."

"Lucky for you, you are in the company of Uchiha Madara." And Madara closes his eyes, opening them to show his Mangekyou. "Rest well, my idiot pupil. Soon we will be making our escape."

"Wait, what are you doing?" Obito says, standing. He sees Madara start to activate his Susanoo, blue chakra flaring around his body.

"Wait! You can't do that! If you activate your Susanoo you'll destroy this building!"

"Your point being?" Madara says.

"There are people here. You could kill them."

"And?" Madara says. Obito glares.

*****

"How many euphemisms for the female orifice are there?" Madara says. He flips through Kakashi's book, Sharingan spinning as he turns the pages. "Hm. I don't even know why I asked you that question. Considering up until recently, you've had no intimate experience with other women."

Obito doesn't take the bait, which disappoints him. Madara leans back against the elevator, relaxing. He stretches and puts his feet up on Kakashi's head like a foot rest. "I know well enough that you had been celibate, and before that, you were an innocent child, so clearly going into this, you were still a virgin," Madara says, pleasantly. "Which is not anything to be ashamed of, mind, but it is unusual. Suffice it to say, it is admirable how much you dedicated yourself to the cause."

Obito is still looking at the elevator buttons, ignoring him. Madara leans forward.

"You did finally do the deed, I'm assuming? Or perhaps you are waiting until you're formally married? Well. I suppose if you've waited this long, it shouldn't matter that much. Of course, I am assuming everything is in working order. I cannot remember just how much of your body was crushed...."

Kakashi groans under Madara's foot. Madara frowns and kicks him in the head again.

"Can you not kick him?" Obito says.

"Why? He will not remember."

Obito makes a frustrated sound.

"There must be some way for you to share your chakra with me," Obito says. He gets up and paces, pressing his hands along the panels of the elevator, as if there were some secret button that could get them out. "If you could lend me your chakra, I could activate my Kamui and get us out of here."

Madara flips a page. "Once again, you are letting yourself be ruled by fear. You should enjoy yourself. Read this terrible novel. Revel in the momentary peace before the inevitable assassination."

"There won't be an assassination attempt." Obito bangs on the door. "Their shitty civilian technology is what's keeping us here. Besides, they'd have nothing to gain if they killed me. We're the ones with nothing to bring to the table."

"Listen here, my dimwitted disciple, there is always something you cannot anticipate." Madara flips a page. "'Expect the unexpected,' as it were. You were the one fond of excess plans, were you not?"

Silence. Obito paces around the elevator while Madara reads.

A sound. Madara and Obito turn.

"What was that?" Obito says. Madara lowers his book.

"I sense the heat signature of someone approaching." Madara's Sharingan glitters. He stands up slowly, crouching in a defensive position.

There's the sound of metal scraping on metal, the sound of footsteps stepping inside--

Madara lunges, slams the intruder against the elevator panel. Another man comes running and Madara grabs him and flips him hard against the floor. It's only then he realizes Obito is yelling.

"You fucking idiot!" Obito says. "They're the fucking repairmen!"

"What?" Madara says. He looks down. Two civilians in overalls are groaning loudly.

Madara frowns. "Well that was unexpected," Madara says.

*****

3.

"Okay, we can still salvage this," Obito says.

He's kneeling next to the unconscious repairmen, hefting one man onto his back and checking his wounds. Madara stands towering above them, arms crossed and a smug expression on his face. "Okay," Obito says. "All we need to do is heal their wounds and genjutsu them so they don't remember the last ten minutes. We'll have to replace their memories with a false one. How is your medical ninjutsu?"

Madara sniffs. "You are asking me, Uchiha Madara, if I do not have mastery over something?"

"I'm asking you because I can't mold chakra yet and Kakashi's unconscious, you're the only one who can do this," Obito says.

Madara smirks. "Of course I can," Madara says.

"Oh, good--"

"But I fail to see why I have to."

"Because they need to fix the fucking elevator," Obito says. Madara sniffs loftily.

"How do we know they were not assassins?"

Obito spreads his hands. "Would assassins be this incompetent?"

"Certainly he is," Madara nods over to Kakashi, "and he is a trained shinobi. Isn't he one of the best in your village?"

"Fine, whatever. Can you heal them, please."

Madara's eyes narrow. "It does not suit my purposes."

"You can't do medical ninjutsu, can you?"

"How dare you," Madara says. "I kept myself alive for centuries healing myself with only the Gedou statue's chakra. I survived a battle of attrition and a stabbing by Senju Hashirama. I am a survivor of the Warring Clans Era, whose comrades fell all around him and needed medical attention. I am the reason why you are alive, and yet you question me about my medical ninjutsu."

"Then can you please heal them and genjutsu them, so when they wake up they can fix this stupid elevator?"

"What happened to your silver tongue? I was told your powers of persuasion were unmatched," Madara says. Obito huffs.

"Obviously I layered my words with genjutsu, which I can't do since someone made us get a synaptic dampener. Why won't you heal them?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Madara's mouth stretches into a malicious grin. "How often is it that I can spend time with my adorable apprentice?"

They both stare at the unconscious repairmen.

"You don't know medical ninjutsu, do you?"

*****

"Ugh. We still have another meeting and the synaptic dampener hasn't worn off."

Obito and Kakashi huddle over a city map, trying to figure out the best way to get to the other side of the city, while Madara crosses his arms and rolls his eyes. "I just texted Ibiki," Obito says. "He and the other team are already there."

"Should we hail a 'taxi'?" Kakashi says.

"We don't have any money," Obito says.

"We have plenty of ryo," Kakashi says.

"They use yen. And apparently something called a credit card. Maybe we can try exchanging the currency at a bank?"

"Hmm."

"You two pillars of the ninja world realize my Sharingan is intact, correct?" Madara sniffs arrogantly. "Say the word, and I will activate my Susanoo and carry us across the city."

"Don't do that, you'll freak them out." Obito doesn't even look up from his map. Madara scowls.

"They are used to it. Their city was razed by a creature they call 'godzilla' years ago."

*****

They get to the building. There is a set of heavy doors.

"It's not push, it's pull," Kakashi says, as Obito tries to push the door open, realizes he didn't read, then tries pulling. The door is heavy; it barely budges.

"It is stuck," Obito says.

"Let me try," Kakashi says. Kakashi tries to pull the door open. It also doesn't budge.

"Shall I just break it open with my battle fan?" Madara says.

"What? No! And why the hell did you bring that anyway? You're the only one of us wearing full armor, you look ridiculous," Obito says.

Madara shakes his hair magnificently. "You are annoyed because I am the only one of us who came prepared."

"Ugh."

"--not to mention, apparently you are useless unless your Sharingan is active. You cannot even open a single door without the use of your Kamui. How pathetic."

"Obito, look, there's a button," Kakashi says, and they look and see the handicapped square button on the side.

They hit the button. The doors open slowly.

"This is the pinnacle of civilian technology?" Madara says.

******

Kakashi looks at their itinerary. "It says to meet in suite 802, on the eighth floor--"

"I'm taking the stairs," Obito says.


	6. Personality

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 7 ficlets: Rin watches Obito and Kakashi argue over barbecue; Obito deals with zombies; Kakashi makes fun of the way Obito's dressed; Obito has problems being Hokage

1.

She was Obito’s guardian spirit, but sometimes Kakashi would pray in front of her headstone, and Rin would feel her consciousness being ripped away from him. All at once she’d be in the middle of a bright, grassy field, the sun shining on the graveyard while Kakashi laid flowers and an ero book as an offering. “It’s a new volume, Rin,” Kakashi would say, because she was the one who read ero books first, and he’d set the book down in front of her grave.

Rin would look around and see blue skies and white clouds, birds singing overhead. And then she’d feel Obito calling to her again, and all at once she’d be transported, find herself in dark spaces, cold air and claustrophobic cliffs, Obito having killed another person, blood dripping down his arm as he looked up at the slate gray sky, the rain sluicing down his mask like tears. She followed him all those years because he always spoke to her - when he felt lonely, when he felt uncertain and overwhelmed - and even if she’d start to fade or drift away, she’d feel her consciousness being called toward him again.

They were transported to the gravity dimension. Rin watched, horror-struck, as Obito and Kakashi both fell to their knees, unable to stand up.

A chakra rod shot through the air, moving as if being dragged through thick molasses. She saw Kakashi and Obito running. At least let me be a shield for them! If I could just make it in time–

Rin could hear their prayers.

Her consciousness spread far, able to reach both Kakashi and Obito from across the gravity field. Her hands clasped both of theirs, and she made contact - her spirit, which was weightless and formless, suddenly had heft in this dimension, and as soon as she grabbed their hands she ran, yanking them toward the center, helping them.

I’m going to see my friends again, Rin thought. The chakra rods were hurtling towards them. I’m going to see my friends again and I could talk to both of them!

But the rod heading toward Kakashi started to swirl, and Rin could hear Obito’s thoughts, just like she always did.

Rin. This time, when I get there…let’s spend some time alone together, just you and me….

The rod smashed into Obito’s stomach.

Kakashi would only be in the way. I’m leaving him here.

*****

The three of them are sitting over barbecue, Kakashi in charge of the meat because Obito kept taking it out too early. “That’s not ready to eat, you need to let it cook more,” Kakashi says, and Rin giggles as Obito grumbles that Kakashi is being a pain in the ass.

The meat sizzles. Rin picks up her glass, taking a drink of water when Kakashi asks, “Rin. Was that really you back there, in the gravity dimension?”

Obito looks up. Kakashi doesn’t look at either of them, concentrating on flipping over the pieces of meat with his chopsticks. “Kaguya had launched chakra rods toward Naruto and Sasuke, and Obito and I were trying to get there in time to block them–”

“I was there, I know,” Rin says. Kakashi sits back, surprised.

“Really?” Kakashi says.

“You two weren’t going to make it on time, and all of a sudden my spirit had weight. I grabbed you both and pulled you there.”

“Amazing.” Kakashi looks at Rin, awestruck. “So you really were following him?”

“Mostly. Sometimes I’d hear you talking to me, though, and then I’d find myself back in Konoha again.” Rin picks up her chopstick, then turns a piece of meat in front of her. She frowns, thoughtfully. “It was always such a change,” Rin says. “Konoha was so bright, every time I’d find myself there, I’d think maybe I was in paradise. But then Obito would call to me, and it’d be like we were underground again, everything was so dark and cold and lonely. I wished I could actually be there with him.”

Obito gives her a small smile. Rin rubs his arm, scooting next to him.

“Anyway, yeah,” Rin says. She plucks out a piece of meat. “That was me.”

“Amazing,” Kakashi says again. Obito’s eyes widen.

“Oi! The meat’s burning!” Obito starts pulling the meat up with his chopsticks. “Bakakashi, this is why you shouldn’t be in charge of grilling–”

“Wha- if you were in charge everything we’d eat would be raw!”

“Why does anyone have to be in charge anyway?” Rin says, because she was actually paying attention to the grill, her meat is cooked perfectly.

*****

2.

If people didn’t know any better - if they hadn’t known Kakashi and Obito when they were kids, like Rin did - they would assume that Kakashi is the laid back one, while Obito is the serious one.

Rin watches, growing more and more amused as they slowly revert back to their old personalities, arguing over something as stupid as barbecue.

“No, Obito, it’s not done yet, put it back,” Kakashi says. He flips over the menu, showing them. “The rules here say you need to let it cook for at least three minutes–”

“You cook it until it’s not red, I don’t like eating meat that’s turned into jerky,” Obito says. Kakashi huffs.

“We listen to you, and we’re all going to get food poisoning,” Kakashi says. “It even says right here that–”

“That’s just a guideline,” Obito says.

“What?” Kakashi says.

“It’s an approximation. The heat varies. The conductive capabilities of the grill can change. Also, the meat’s not red.” Obito plucks the piece out with his chopsticks.

Kakashi’s eyes widen. “Baka! There’s still blood on it!”

“It’s medium rare.”

“You order steak medium rare, you idiot, you’re gonna make yourself sick!”

Rin starts giggling. The two men turn.

“Obito, you see that?” Kakashi says. “Rin is laughing because you’re being stupid.”

Obito grumbles, “You’re the one who’s stupid.”

“You’re both stupid,” Rin says. She picks up her chopsticks. “I’m putting meat on the grill.”

*****

3.

“Hokage-sama! We have a problem!”

“What is it?” Obito says. The shinobi rests his hands on his knees, breathless.

“There are zombies that have taken over the civilian quarter!”

“What?” Obito says.

*****

“I’m so sorry!” Hashi says. Their neighbors are cowering in Madara’s Susanoo while Hashi tries sequestering the undead nin she tried bringing back. “It worked with Izuna and Rin, I thought I could bring everybody back–”

“Raaaaar!” Zombies burst through the fence, making their neighbors scream. Madara knocks them down with his battle fan.

Obito stares. “How many did you resurrect?” he says. Hashi thinks.

“Um, I think the entire shinobi army? And I tried resurrecting Minato’s wife, too.”

“Ahhhhh!” another zombie says. Madara kicks him in the throat and punches another one behind him.

*****

“YOSH! Who’s ready to kick some zombie ass, dattebayo!”

Ino shrieks. “It’s Neji! Naruto-kun! Neji’s a zombie!”

Minato pushes Kushina back, his hand flat against her forehead. “This is bad,” Minato says. Kushina flails, then bares her teeth at him. “This is really bad.”

In the middle of it all, Uchiha Itachi stands in the civilian quarter, cracks in his skin and his sclera blackened, looking thoroughly confused.

Sasuke gasps, “Nii-san! You’re not a zombie?!”

“No, I am merely undead.” Itachi frowns, looking at the chaos around him. “Is the war still ongoing? Are they attacking the village?”

“RAWR!” a zombie smashes through the glass window of a cake shop, then begins stuffing its face with pastry.

“Nevermind, Little Brother, I think I know the answer.”

*****

Obito walks through the village, assessing the damage. What was once the civilian square is now a bombed-out waste, buildings crumbling and the streets covered in detritus and broken glass. “Do we have any casualties?” Obito asks. Shizune flips through her notepad.

“74 people injured, zero fatalities. But reports of missing persons are still trickling in, and the damage to the village’s infrastructure is quite immense.”

“Tch.” Obito rubs his head.

It took a platoon of ANBU nin to herd the zombies into the forest, where Hashi sealed them with her Mokuton prison. There, Itachi showed her how to negate the jutsu, and after weaving a few hand seals, the zombie nin crumbled into dust and ash. (“Won’t canceling the Edo Tensei affect you too?” Hashi asked Itachi. Itachi shook his head.

“I released myself from that jutsu awhile ago.”

“Oh, okay. Cool.”)

“Were any houses in the residential areas affected?” Obito asks. The ANBU nin nods.

“Approximately ten percent of civilian housing got razed by the zombie attack. Most of the damage seems to be confined to the commercial areas, but we have a team already mobilizing an emergency shelter in case any residents are displaced.”

“Good,” Obito says. “Notify the village council. The villagers will need disaster relief. We’ll have to figure out how to re-allocate funds to provide adequate aid.”

“Yes, Hokage-sama.” And the ANBU nin disappears into the smoke.

Outside, the civilians venture out, cleaning debris and sweeping the dust and detritus. Obito and Kakashi stand in the middle of the civilian town center, looking at the smashed up windows and thick columns of smoke.

“Wow, what a shit show,” Kakashi says. He glances at Obito. “They’re gonna blame you because you’re Hokage, you know.”

Above them, a piece of roof falls after catching on fire.

*****

“Madara is Hokage?!” Itachi’s eyes widen. His hand grips his sword.

“Worry not, Little Brother,” Itachi says, and he pulls out his sword in one fluid motion. “I will do what I should have done a long time ago.”

“Wait wait wait wait WAIT Itachi NO!” Naruto and Sasuke have to physically block Itachi from leaving. Itachi whips around.

“What is the matter with you two? Are you under his genjutsu? Let me feel your chakra, he may have disturbed its flow–”

“That’s not the real Madara dattebayo, that’s the real Madara,” and Naruto points to a man with a bunch of kids strapped to him, a baby chewing on his battle fan and a toddler walking on a leash. “The guy you thought was Madara is really a guy named Obito.”

“What?” Itachi says. Naruto nods vigorously.

“Yeah! Old Man Madara activated the Moon’s Eye, but instead of creating a new reality, he grew this giant tree that cocooned everyone and sucked up all the chakra from all the shinobi! And then this biiiiiig alien lady came and I guess she was some kind of goddess or somethin’ and we all thought we were screwed but Obito woke up and was like ‘what the heck is happening,’ and then he HELPED US, Itachi! An’ then we went to a gravity dimension and a fire dimension and Sasuke was trapped in this DESERT dimension but Obito found us and she threw these chakra rods at us but then he jumped in front of us, dattebayo!”

Itachi blinks. He turns to Sasuke.

“Can you genjutsu me with the information?”

“Yeah, sure.”

*****

4.

“You should dye your hair,” Kakashi says, apropos of nothing. Obito furrows his brow.

“What, why?”

“Because for most people, white hair is distinguished, but on you it just looks weird.”

Obito frowns.

*****

“Eh? Dye your hair?” Rin looks up. “Why?”

“Kakashi seems to think I look weird. That maybe I wouldn’t scare off the delegates as much if I dyed my hair and used foundation on my neck and hand.”

Rin looks. It’s true, the patches of cloned skin can look a bit off-putting. His hand and neck are the color of an etiolated egg, translucent and criss-crossed with fine, purplish veins. And that isn’t even taking into account the scars on his face, which are jarring even on a good day. Rin frowns at him. “Wouldn’t the foundation rub off on your clothes, though?”

“I don’t know, would it?”

“Here,” she says, and she rummages through her makeup bag.

*****

On a whim, Rin goes to the convenience store to pick up some hair dye.

“I got a couple boxes so you can pick out the best color black,” Rin says. Obito frowns at her.

“There’s different colors of black?”

“Apparently there is.”

“I feel idiotic,” Obito says. Rin sets down her bag.

“For the record, I don’t think you have to do this. I think your hair looks fine the way it is.”

They both look at the box. “This seems complicated,” Obito says.

He doesn’t dye his hair.

****

5.

Obito doesn’t wear the Hokage robes.

He doesn’t wear the robes. He doesn’t wear the cape. He doesn’t even wear the hat, even if ceremonial circumstances dictate it: he’ll only hold it gingerly and then pawn it off to Kakashi. Kakashi turns the hat over in his hands, frowning. “Obito. You can’t tell me wearing this hat is any worse than wearing those masks.”

Obito doesn’t look up from his papers. “I don’t like things sitting on top of my head.”

Kakashi blinks. The boulders. Right.

Kakashi leans back, looking at him. He’s wearing the standard green flak jacket, but beneath that he’s dressed the way he used to dress when he pretended to be Madara - black pants and a black shirt that covers his neck up to the chin, and he puts on black gloves if there’s a visitor. All he would need is his orange mask.

Kakashi knows without asking why he’s wearing gloves and a turtleneck - half of Obito’s neck and his entire right hand is made of Hashirama’s cells, so the color contrast between his face and the rest of his body is jarring.

“Obito. What did you do with all those masks, anyway?”

He turns a page. “I burned them.”

“Ah.”

There’s only the sound of Obito’s pen writing on paper.

“You really should dye your hair,” Kakashi says. Obito sets his pen down and frowns at him.

*****

“EH?! Kakashi why do you have to keep picking on him?!” Rin says.

Kakashi raises his hands. “Hold on a minute, Rin-chan–”

“You’re such a jerk! Obito is working really hard and all you do is make fun of him!”

Obito shakes his head. “This is word for word the same conversation we had as kids,” Obito says. Kakashi and Rin turn.

“Really?” Rin says. Obito nods. Rin whirls around toward Kakashi.

“Kakashi you grew up into a jerk!”

A sweatdrop forms on Kakashi’s brow “O-oi.”

“Picking on Obito just because he looks weird! He can’t help it!” Rin says. (She said something similar when they were kids: “Kakashi you’re a jerk! Picking on Obito just because he cries a lot! He can’t help it!”)

“This is making me nostalgic,” Minato says.

*****

6.

“Why do you have to keep picking on him? Obito is working really hard! Just because he still can’t do basic ninjutsu doesn’t mean you can make fun of him!”

*****

“Kakashi be nice! So what if he cries a lot? He can’t help it! He’s sensitive!”

*****

“Why do you have to be such a jerk, Kakashi?! Just because he lost six times in a row doesn’t mean you get to make fun of him!”

*****

“Kakashi this is like making fun of a baby, stop it!”

*****

“I mean, it’s okay, not everyone gets it on the first try.” A beat. “You’ve been working on this for a month?”

*****

“Don’t apologize, Obito, I don’t mind treating your wounds. You’re the reason why I’m so good at suturing!”

*****

“Ne, Obito. Do you think Kakashi likes me?” (Proceeds to wax poetic about Kakashi for half an hour).

*****

The genjutsu ends. “Sorry,” Rin says.

*****

7.

The Daimyo of the Land of Water is demanding reparations, and so Obito dips into his secret accounts, various Akatsuki holdings that he had disclosed to the Five Nations prior to becoming Hokage. “We demand recompense,” a Kirigakure representative says. “Uchiha Obito stole from our country, depleting our wealth and lining the coffers of the Akatsuki with our money. It isn’t fair that the Akatsuki’s war chest be split up among the five nations at Kirigakure’s expense. And lest we forget, he murdered hundreds of shinobi under the guise of being the Mizukage.”

Obito stares at them, incredulous. “We already paid everything back with interest,” Obito says. He gestures to the other kage. “We already agreed that what is left should go to the other four villages, Konoha included. Tsunade-sama signed the pact.”

The Mizukage sniffs. “I see no reason why Konoha should profit.”

Obito snaps, “The matter was settled, why is this being brought up again?”

The other kages glance uneasily at each other.

Obito sits heavily on the bed, head in his hands, frustrated. If they don’t clinch the trade deal with the civilian village, Konoha will be thrown into debt. Rin sits next to him, touching his arm. “Everything okay?” she says. Wordlessly Obito lists sideways, leaning against her.

He genjutsus her and shows her the whole disastrous meeting, and Rin responds by pursing her lips and resting her hand on his head. “They haven’t voted on it yet,” Rin says. “Gaara and Darui openly said they’d support you.”

“Onoki is still afraid I’m acting as Madara’s puppet.” Obito sighs, heavily. “There’s only four of them and I can’t vote on this, we’re at a diplomatic standstill.”

She rubs his back, and she can feel him start to relax. He plops his head face-first into her shoulder.

Rin lets out a startled laugh, “Obito!”

“Would it be terrible if I just genjutsu them?” His voice is muffled by her shirt. “It would be easy. No one would know.”

“I thought you were trying to be a good person?” She rubs soothing circles by the nape of his neck. He moves his head to look up at her.

He reaches up, then tucks back a strand of hair that had fallen by her cheek, the tips of his fingers lightly brushing her temple. His eyes are soft. He smiles at her.

Rin gives him a puzzled smile. “What is it?” she says. Obito searches her eyes quietly.

He rests his head onto her lap, and Rin responds by resting her hand on his head, letting her fingers lightly scratch his scalp as he curls up on his side.

“Rin?”

“Yeah?”

“What would you have done if I did this when we were kids?” Obito says. Rin considers, bowing her head downward to look at him.

“I don’t know,” Rin says. She cards her fingers through his hair. “Probably freak out.”

“Heh. I figured.”

“No! I mean, I’d think that you were really injured, like maybe you were too orthostatic to keep sitting up.”

Obito laughs. Rin responds by wiggling out from under his head and flopping down next to him.

They rearrange themselves so that Rin is lying on the left side of his chest, resting her head against his shoulder. Obito wraps his arms around her, propping his body slightly to the side so that he’s not quite flat on his back. Rin fits her body against his, curling up into the concave hollow of his chest. He feels good and warm and she nuzzles her face against him.

“You know, I thought you’d be more upset about this,” Rin says. Obito hugs her.

“I guess I haven’t had much time to think about it,” Obito says, and Rin realizes she’s just brought up painful memories again. She sits up and starts to apologize, but Obito hugs her closer. “I tried negotiating with Onoki one-on-one. The Land of Earth is suffering crop damage from a massive drought, so I offered to open up bilateral trade agreements between their village and ours in return for his vote. He refused, and then he ratted me out to the other kage, claiming I was trying to influence him. I can’t even be mad, because I was,” Obito says.

“What would you do if you were in the Akatsuki?” Rin asks.

“Genjutsu them. Take I want. Maybe install a subordinate to infiltrate them. Start a whisper campaign in favor of our vote. And if that didn’t work, I’d probably send one of the teams to kill them. I’d make it look like an accident, of course,” Obito says, and he shifts to look at her. “Onoki would be easy. He’s old - all I’d have to do is imply that he needs to do something to protect his legacy. 'Your village is suffering, and on your deathbed you will look back and have nothing but regret. Think about it,’ I’d say, and then I’d disappear and let him mull it over.”

“So what are you doing now?”

“Trying to convince everyone that I’m harmless and that I’m trying to do the best for the village. Ironic, because the village council doesn’t trust me, either.” He shifts Rin closer to his chest, then squeezes her fondly. “It’s one of the reasons why I’m trying to bring the civilian villages into the fold. They don’t know me. Granted, they know I have the Sharingan and they’re afraid of me, but it’s for an entirely different reason.”

Rin feels herself start to drowse. His voice is soothing. He feels comfortable and warm and the entire time he’s been talking, he’s been absently running his fingertips up and down the skin of her arm. She feels him rest his cheek on her forehead. She smiles and presses a soft kiss against his throat, cuddling him sleepily. “Maybe you should listen to Kakashi,” Rin says.

“What about Kakashi?”

“Wear makeup and dye your hair.”

Obito scoffs. “Bakakashi is a pain in the ass.”

Rin giggles. Obito reaches across her body to switch off the lamp, then shifts her weight, pulling the blankets over the both of them.

Like every night, Obito is the big spoon. Rin curls up on her side and Obito cups his body against hers, his arm draping across her torso and pulling her to his chest. He doesn’t say it, but Rin knows he takes comfort in this, being able to hold her and cuddle her the rest of the night. Every so often he’ll nuzzle his face into her neck or brush a soft kiss against her nape. Before, he rarely slept, relying on Hashirama’s cells and sheer willpower to stay awake. He used to have nightmares, dreams where the walls would suddenly cave in, where the people he killed rose up to accuse him. Frequently he dreamt of Rin’s death, and it would be as if he’d witnessed it all over again.

Sleep is comforting now, because he can sleep next to Rin, can feel her move and stir against him.

There is another round of negotiations, and Obito is caught off-guard when an Iwagakure representative asks him about the possibility of a bilateral trade agreement. Obito looks up and sees Onoki scowling, his arms crossed and his face pinched. He sees Obito and looks away dismissively. “I’m doing this for my village,” Onoki says. His cape flutters as he floats over, scowling. “That’s the only reason you’ve got my vote.”

“Thank you,” Obito says, and his face brightens. The other kage look and whisper to themselves. They had never seen the Sixth Hokage crack a smile.


	7. Genin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obito deals with a genin team's death

1.

"Hokage-sama. We have some bad news."

Obito puts his papers down on his desk as the ANBU nin kneels in front of him. "A team of genin was found killed at the Land of Earth, just northwest of the Ganu mountains."

"What happened?" Obito asks, and the ANBU nin lifts his head.

"They were on a C-ranked escort mission at the request of a young woman to see her grandmother." The ANBU nin hands Obito the papers. He flips through them as the ANBU nin speaks. "As it turned out, the woman was a high-ranked target. We believe a group of mercenaries ambushed the team as they started to cross the mountain overpass."

"Why wasn't the woman vetted? Clients are supposed to be checked for all escort missions." He flips through a few photographs: pictures of the team members, the Hyuuga jounin who was supposed to supervise them.

"I don't know, Hokage-sama, but my feeling is they purposely downplayed the request because genin don't cost as much for a C-ranked mission."

"Do we know why she was targeted?"

"Hai. Our sources say it was due to a domestic dispute that had previously gone unreported. We believe the estranged husband had hired those assassins."

"How old were the genin?" Obito asks.

"They ranged from 12 to 13. Their leader was a 26-year-old jounin. He had just been newly promoted."

Obito sets his papers down on the desk. "Thank you," Obito says. "I will let their parents know."

*****

It was easy to compartmentalize things when he acted as Uchiha Madara. The voice, the different ways of moving. The sneering contempt of all his enemies. He could cut off the human parts of himself at any moment, and Obito draws on this now as he personally speaks with each set of parents. They weep. He offers nothing but empty condolences. They clasp his hand and thank him.

Sunset. Obito sits in his office, looking at the photographs. The 13-year-old was a boy whose chakra reserves were thin but whose ninjutsu was proficient. The two twelve-year-olds had gone to school together and considered each other rivals of each other. The jounin was a newly promoted Hyuuga, promoted for his bloodline abilities and his proficiency in taijutsu.

A drop of water, then another, falls on top of the photographs. Obito grits his teeth and holds his head in his hands.

The world is wrong. Lives are disposable in this cruel, fake reality. He wanted to save the world for everyone, the living and the dead he'd killed to achieve those ends.

Obito spends the night crying. Not just because it was his fault they died, but because of everything. Because he failed. Because he was wrong. Because he had waded deep into a river of blood for nothing. Because his grief is overwhelming.

Rin doesn't say anything, just holds him, running her hands up and down the line of his back, then resting her cheek against the side of his hair.

*****

2.

There is a small faction of missing nin hiding out in the Ganu mountains. Obito goes there personally and brutally kills all of them.

"Hokage-sama. Shall we send a team of jounin to infiltrate them?"

Obito lifts his eyes. "There's no need," Obito says. "I've already taken care of them."

The ANBU leaves. Through the doorway, there is nothing but the small dark shape of a man hunching over his desk in the office, the empty room a reddish orange by the sun setting behind him.

*****

3.

"Whoa. Did the Bingo Book get lighter?" Sasuke says.

"Eh? What do you mean?" Naruto says. He looks over Sasuke's shoulder.

Sasuke points. "There's thirteen fewer missing nin than there were yesterday. It looks like they were wiped out in a single night."

"Whoa," Naruto says. "That must have been a pretty large scale mission, dattebayo."


	8. Birth Control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obito and Rin discuss having children. Angst.

1.

It's late afternoon when Rin goes over to the training grounds. Above her, the sky is dark with storm clouds and the wind is rising with the threat of rain. She's carrying an umbrella along with her medical bag, figuring she may as well meet him in case there is a downpour - he could use the Kamui, of course, but she knew his eyes hurt if he overused his powers too much.

Obito is with the little girl, practicing their katas. Rin stands at the edge of the gated fence and watches as the girl goes through her forms. Her movements are exact, precise, but she moves with a fluid motion that seems almost otherworldly. Obito tosses a few dummy shuriken at her - rubber practice stars with dull edges and blunted tips - and the girl whirls like a wavecap on a slipstream of motion, and it's only until the rubber stars fall around her that Rin realizes she's blindfolded.

"Obito?" Rin opens the gate and walks toward them. Obito looks up. His face brightens.

"Rin."

Rin shows him the umbrella. "It looked like it was going to rain," Rin says. She smiles at the little girl. "Long time no see," she says to her, smiling. The little girl beams.

"Oneesan!" the little girl pulls off her blindfold, beaming. "Are you Sensei's girlfriend now, Oneesan?"

"I am Sensei's girlfriend now, yes." Rin bites back a laugh and glances at Obito, who smiles and blushes. She turns back to the girl.

"Is it okay if we walk you home?" Rin asks. The girl jumps up.

"Yeah! Can I hold the umbrella? I can hold it really tall!" And the girl grabs the umbrella and holds her arm straight up, showing her.

They walk behind the little girl, who skips and runs and jumps into puddles, swinging the umbrella around as she walks.

"You're good with her," Rin says, after they've gotten back. Obito is putting a dish in the sink; he glances behind his shoulder and smiles. "Ne," Rin says, and she sits down on the couch. "There's something I've been thinking about."

"What is it?" Obito asks. He sits next to her. Rin tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.

"What do you think about me coming off the birth control?"

Obito hesitates. He lowers his eyes. "Why are you thinking about that?" he asks quietly.

"I mean, you said it yourself, I'm almost 35. If we're going to have children it'll just be harder going forward." Rin studies him. "Do you want to have children, Obito?"

"I don't know." An honest answer. He takes her hand into his, not looking at her. "If none of this ever happened...if we never got caught in that cave and we were together normally...there wouldn't be anything more in the world I'd want than to have a family with you."

Rin's voice is soft. "But?"

"But...I've killed so many, Rin. I hurt people. And yet somehow you're with me and you love me. It's more than I deserve." He runs his thumb over her knuckles, quietly. "I don't know if I could bear the thought of bringing a child into this world. I don't know that I'd be a good father."

Rin lowers her eyes. "I've always wanted children," she says, softly. Obito's eyes are wet. He grips her hand tighter.

There are always relationship incompatibilities. Dealbreakers, reasons to break up that have nothing to do with love. One partner may find a job in a different village and be unable to bridge the distance. Another partner may want children while the other doesn't. The two may love each other, but there's a gulf that can't be bridged. Rin's eyes fill with tears. "Obito--"

"Okay," Obito says. Rin lifts her head.

"W-what?"

"Okay," Obito says. His voice breaks. He swallows. "You were about to break up with me. I don't want that. I'm selfish." A tear slips, and then another. He looks away, wiping his eyes. "I don't want you to leave me."

"Obito I wasn't...I wasn't going to leave you," she says, but they both know for one brief moment, she had considered it.

He squeezes his eyes and she hugs him tight. She pulls him against her chest as he starts to cry and presses a kiss to his temple.

She draws away from him after a moment, wiping his eyes and letting her thumb stroke the side of his cheek. "We don't have to have kids, Obito. I've always wanted them, yes, but I love you. I want to be with you."

"I want kids." His voice is soft. He doesn't look at her. "I just don't know if I deserve it."

Rin nods. She takes a shuddery breath, then nods quickly. "We don't have to decide anything now," she says.

"Rin?"

"Yeah?"

He presses his forehead against hers.

"Let's stop the birth control."

*****

2.

"Sensei, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Minato turns and sees Obito standing hesitantly outside the courtyard. Minato smiles at him. "Of course, Obito, sure." He motions for Obito to set next to him on the bench. They both look up at the overcast sky, and at the trees moving slightly in the wind.

"We're filing the marriage certificate," Obito says. "Rin doesn't mind not having a ceremony."

Minato waits. He can tell Obito wants to tell him more from the way he's hunched over the bench, his hands folded in his lap, quietly. "She wants to have a baby with me."

Minato lowers his eyes, then nods thoughtfully. "Do you want to?" Minato says.

"I don't know," Obito says. And then, "It scares me."

Minato sees Obito's jaw clench. He can't see Obito's eyes.

"She almost left me." Obito's hands tighten. "She said she wouldn't, that she'd want to stay, but...but not having a child would kill her, and I didn't want to do that to her." He hunches over miserably.

"I'm selfish," Obito says. He stares at the ground, not looking at him. "A better man would just let her go, let her find someone else who would love her and father children with her. Someone like me shouldn't have children, but I don't want to leave her." Obito hunches over, pressing a fist to his eye. "I don't want her to leave."

Minato goes silent. Obito doesn't look at him. He continues. "When I think of what I did to you and your wife, Sensei, and what I almost did to your baby...I just get so ashamed. If something were to happen to Rin, I don't know what I'd do. I can't even imagine the pain I put you through."

Minato shakes his head. "That wasn't you," Minato says

"It was," Obito says. Minato shakes his head again.

"It wasn't," Minato says. "The Obito I know - still know - wanted to protect his comrades. He wanted to be strong for the village. He loved and cared for his teammates. The man who attacked me and Kushina was just someone who took over while you were lost, and drowning."

Obito shakes his head. "I was afraid you'd say that," Obito says, softly. "Sensei, that was me. And if I thought the Moon's Eye were real, I'd do it again in a second. So how is it possible that you forgive me?"

Minato smiles sadly. "You were doing what you thought was right," Minato says. "We all make certain sacrifices. You believed with all your heart that you would make a perfect world. That didn't happen. I'm not naive enough to say that it excuses all your actions, but at least it helps me understand them. It's why I think you deserve forgiveness. Obito, I think you'd make a great father," Minato says. "I've seen how you are with Madara's daughter. You're a good person. I think you'd make a really good dad."

"I wish I could believe you, Sensei," he says, and the rims of his eyes darken, "but it's more than a man like me deserves."

They fall silent, Minato folding his hands in his lap while Obito hunches forward.

****

He's teaching Madara's daughter at the training grounds again, when the little girl chirps, "Sensei! Did you know my Mommy's pregnant again?"

"She is?" Obito says. The little girl nods happily, kicking her feet along the bench.

"I'm gonna have a little sister!" the girl says proudly. "I've always wanted a little sister!"

"I'm sure you have," Obito says. He watches the girl swing her legs happily.

Hashi comes to the training grounds to pick her up, and as the girl runs toward her, Obito can see the slight bump of her belly. Obito wonders how he hadn't noticed before.

"Pregnant again?" Rin says, when Obito tells her. "Oh wow. Hashi-san's gonna have her hands full. Can you imagine? Four kids?"

"I heard Madara wants at least seven." Obito sits and leans against her.

"Ne, Obito?"

"Yeah?"

Rin turns and sets her hands on his knees, looking at him. "I know this whole thing's been bothering you--"

"Rin--"

"No, listen." Rin takes his hands into hers. "I love you. I'm happy being with you. If that means we don't have children, I'm fine with it."

Obito sags in front of her. "You know what I used to imagine?"

"What?" Rin asks. Obito looks up at her.

"If the Moon's Eye plan came to pass," Obito says. "I'd imagine, if we'd ever meet, you'd be with me and marry me, and we'd have a family together and be happy. I suppose I told myself it'd be just enough knowing that you were alive, that realistically, you'd have nothing to do with me. But sometimes I'd imagine what it would be like, telling you all the horrible things I've done, and you telling me you still love me. And even though I'd have all this guilt it would be okay, since everybody would be brought back and the world would be at peace.

"I want you to be happy. If that means having children, I want to have children with you. You deserve to have a family, and I'll try my best to be a good father. Whatever issues I have shouldn't keep you from being happy."

"Are you sure?" she asks. Obito nods and clasps her hands.

"I want you to have my baby."

Rin's face brightens. She throws her arms around him, hugging him.

It feels good to hold her. Silently Obito resolves never to burden her with his guilt or his feelings of inadequacy. All he wants to do is make her happy.


	9. Kakashi's Boyfriend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi/OC; future snippets taken from [Goldfish](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26078560/chapters/63429562), where Obito and Rin have a baby.

1.

"It's getting dark," Minato said. He set down his pack, gesturing toward the small clearing in the woods. "I'll be lookout just ahead. You two get some rest."

"Hai." Kakashi and Obito set down their things, Obito starting a fire with his katon while Kakashi set up the field tent.

It was their first official mission chaperoning Obito, but quickly they had started working as if they never left Team Minato. They worked well together, and if he were honest, Kakashi had missed this: he had missed working with his old friend.

The woods were quiet. Just above them, Kakashi could just make out the faint outline of the moon through the treetops. Obito didn't speak. He unrolled his pack, zipped up the side of the canvass bag, then took his perch on the other side of the fire.

"I guess small talk is out of the question," Kakashi said. Obito looked up.

"Small talk? What do you mean?"

Kakashi gestured. "I mean, after everything that happened. You being a criminal warlord and newly resurrected."

Obito tossed a stick into the fire. "Try me."

Kakashi leaned back, considering.

"So what was up with that Tobi personality?" Kakashi said.

"Oh, that?" Obito tossed a stick. "Just blowing off some steam. Madara is such an imposing figure, it was fun to let loose once in awhile. But it was mostly strategic," Obito said.

"Strategic? How do you mean?" Kakashi said. Obito shrugged.

"I was concerned Nagato was going to betray me." He tossed another stick into the fire. "At the time, the organization was floundering. He was acting more like a freedom fighter and he had stopped prioritizing capturing the bijou. I infiltrated as Tobi to let him know I was watching."

"But why act like an idiot?" Kakashi asked. Obito's mouth quirked.

"As I said: to blow off steam. But also so the others wouldn't suspect me."

"Huh," Kakashi said, and they fell silent again.

The fire crackled. The two men sat silently around the campfire while Minato kept watch in the grove a few meters ahead of them.

"So," Obito began. He cleared his throat. "Uh. Are you seeing anyone?"

Kakashi fed a stick into the fire. "Is that your attempt at small talk?"

"Well what the hell else are we supposed to talk about?"

"I don't know. The weather? It's been twenty years. We have a lot to talk about."

"Alright then," Obito put his hands on his knees, leaning forward. "Are you seeing anyone?"

"Not at the moment." Kakashi leaned toward the fire, its orange flames reflecting in his eyes. "By the way, I should probably tell you, I'm gay."

"Oh." Obito looked up, surprised. "Really? I never knew that about you."

"I mean we were kids back then, so..."

"Anyone ever give you any trouble?" Obito asked. Kakashi shook his head.

"Not really."

"Mm."

The two men lapsed into silence, not really saying anything.

"So uh, any cute...any cute guys?" Obito said. Kakashi snorted.

"Good to know you're still a dumbass."

"Well what the hell am I supposed to ask?"

Kakashi tossed another stick in the fire. Obito shifted awkwardly.

"Kakashi, I just...you know. That doesn't matter to me."

"Good."

"You know, in case...in case you were worried."

"I wasn't worried."

"You are so fucking annoying, you know that?" Obito said, and he had that same petulant look he had when they were kids. "I'm trying to be supportive."

Kakashi chuckled. "Thanks," Kakashi said. "I appreciate it."

Obito nodded, then stirred the ashes in the fire.

*****

2.

The bookstore Kakashi likes to visit has a whole section dedicated to ero novels. Oftentimes, he will be the only man perusing the section - housewives will flip through the books furtively, glancing behind their shoulders before flipping to the steamiest parts. Kakashi will do this out in the open.

"I don't understand. Do you come here to pick up other men?" Obito follows Kakashi, frowning as Kakashi makes his way through the shelves and shelves of naughty books. Kakashi scoffs.

"Of course not," Kakashi says. "Besides, most of the customers here are women."

"Hm."

Kakashi can't convince Obito of the merits of his favorite type of books, so Kakashi naturally just chalks it up to a loss and keeps doing what he's always been doing.

They're walking down the civilian quarter when Kakashi grabs Obito's arm.

"Shit," Kakashi says. Obito glances back, sees Kakashi's eyes widen. A bead of sweat forms at his temple.

"What's wrong?" Obito says. Kakashi yanks him to the side.

"Pretend that you're my boyfriend."

"What?"

"I said _pretend that you're my boyfriend_ , you owe me, now do it."

"Okay okay, geez--"

Kakashi plasters on a smile, squaring his shoulders as Obito looks around stupidly and holds kakashi's hand.

There is a man walking toward them. "Oh hey, Kakashi," the man says. He looks Kakashi and Obito up and down.

Kakashi gives him a look of disaffected cool, the kind of look that made Rin wet in the panties when they were genin. "Yo."

The man's eyes slide toward Obito. "Who's this?" And in Obito's best Idiot Tobi voice, he goes,

" _Kakashi is my boyfriend~~!_ "

"Oh really?" the man says. He smirks. Kakashi widens his eyes at Obito.

 _Dial it back, you idiot_.

_Well what the fuck did you want me to do?_

"Ichigo, this is my friend--"

"--Madara," Obito says.

"--Tobi," Kakashi says.

The man smirks at them. "Is it Madara or is it Tobi?" he says. They glance at each other.

Obito pushes Kakashi back. "Madara," Obito says, in Madara's voice. He glances at Kakashi. _Just fucking shut up and let me do this_ , and Kakashi takes a step back, sweating visibly. "I apologize. My friend here was nervous as he was approaching you."

"Oh is that right?" Ichigo gives them a smug look, his eyes meeting Kakashi. Just as Madara would, Obito sniffs, arrogantly.

"And let me guess," Obito says. "You are a civilian. And judging from that smug, self-satisfied look, you are silently giving yourself a pat on the back for dating and dumping a shinobi. You are lucky you didn't get yourself killed," Obito says, lightly. "You know he's killed other nin for considerably less."

"Hmm. Well just between you and me, 'Madara,' I find it pretty pathetic that he has to pretend you're his boyfriend."

"Hmm. Indeed. We are not dating. That doesn't mean we are not fucking, however."

"Eh?" the man pales. Obito smiles.

"I let him indulge," Obito says. He cracks his neck, smiling. "You see, there are things only other shinobi know. Things that just can't be found with a mere civilian."

The man blinks. Obito's eyes narrow. _Bingo_.

"Kakashi let's go," Obito says. "This man is annoying," and Kakashi watches in wonder as Obito stuffs his hands in his pockets, strolling away smugly.

"Obito, what the hell was that?" Kakashi says, when the man is out of earshot. Obito shrugs.

"That guy dumped you because he was emasculated by you," Obito says.

"What? He...well he broke up with me because he said I was too needy."

"Hmph. He broke up with you because you're a shinobi, you're surrounded by people who are better and stronger than he is. He's an insecure little man and he doesn't deserve you."

Kakashi doesn't say anything. Obito tilts his head.

"You really liked him, didn't you?" Obito says. Kakashi glances over.

"What makes you say that?"

"Because I can't imagine Hatake Kakashi being needy."

"Shut up."

"Why aren't you dating someone nice?" Obito says. "What about that guy at that bookstore you like--"

"Because that's where I get all my ero novels, I won't be able to shop there if I break up with him."

"Can't you just shop online?"

Kakashi rolls his eyes.

****

3.

He is in the park, strolling around the field with his newest ero novel burning a hole in his satchel. Often in the park, there will be mothers also reading romance novels while their children are playing, who are happy to share with him their favorite titles or their thoughts on the newest book. It's almost an informal book club, although some are rightly wary about the strange masked man asking what they think about the newest "100 Colors" sequel.

Kakashi turns a corner, intending to find a nice shady bench to read, when he sees Uchiha Madara watching his children playing at the park.

Oh, well this is unusual. Madara usually took his children to the shinobi areas, he's never seen Madara out here in civilian territory before. Kakashi strolls over to him and sees the little toddler trying to climb on a small metal duck to ride on, while the baby cruises between playground equipment. Madara himself is reading a book.

An ero book, as it turns out. Kakashi beams.

"That's a very good title!" Kakashi says. Madara looks up.

"Hmph. Of course the Copy Ninja brat would think so, the writing is pedestrian and the chemistry between the heroine and her lover is nonexistent."

"If you don't like it, why are you still reading it?"

"Naturally because I want to see what happens with the plot."

"Ah." Kakashi sits down next to him. Madara turns a page.

"Are you familiar with the Lord of Illusions series?" Madara is speaking to him. Kakashi glances back, surprised.

"I've seen them, but I'm not much for high fantasy settings."

"The worldbuilding is top-notch and the writing is excellent. I completed all five books in a single week. I would recommend you consider expanding your horizons."

"I'll have to try it," Kakashi says, the surrealness of talking to Uchiha Madara about various bodice rippers not lost on him.

*****

He's sitting at the table reading his book when someone slides into the seat in front of him.

"You are in love with my idiot apprentice," Madara says. "Consider it a gift that Uchiha Madara has deigned to help you."

It takes Kakashi a moment to understand what Madara is saying. He squints and leans forward. "You mean Obito?"

"Hmph." Madara leans back, crossing his arms. "It is quite obvious. One does not need the Sharingan to see it."

"Oh, I think there's been a misunderstanding, I don't have feelings for Obito," Kakashi says.

"I too know the pain of an unrequited love." Madara's eyes slide upward. "It seems you and I share a certain sensibility."

Kakashi frowns at him. "Madara-san, I don't know where you got the idea, but I'm not in love with Obito. He's my best friend and he's straight, I'm not in love with him."

"You said that twice and yet you're blushing when you talk about him."

Kakashi scoffs. "I'm not blushing because I'm thinking about him, I'm blushing because this conversation is ridiculous and I'm getting a bit embarrassed." Kakashi has always been very self-aware about his reactions.

Madara sniffs. "Do not lie to me, Hatake Kakashi. I saw it in your memories. You spent years grieving for him. Standing over the shadows of a snow-covered grave, holding his memory close to your heart as you silently mourned him."

Kakashi spreads his hands. "I'm not saying that he's not attractive..."

"There we are," Madara says.

"....but he's marrying Rin, and besides that, he's straight. I don't think that way about him."

"And yet it eats you alive, does it not?" Madara says.

"Not in the slightest," Kakashi says. He sets his book down. "Believe it or not, Madara-san, I'm not harboring some unrequited torch for my best friend. He's like a brother, I'm happy for him."

"But you did, though." Madara's mouth stretches into a smile. "For one brief, glorious moment, you thought to yourself of what could have been."

Kakashi opens his mouth to protest but Madara interrupts him. "I just thought I could offer you support. I realize my apprentice's heart is already taken, but I am sympathetic to your position. I would like to help."

"Help me how?" Kakashi says. It's probably better to let Madara finish than to try to argue against him. Madara leans forward.

"Naturally, you will show me the next attractive male, and I will genjutsu him into going on a 'date' with you."

"Madara-san, I realize standards back in your day may have been different, but mind-control isn't the best way to start a relationship."

"Hm."

"And secondly, I meet men just fine. I'm actually dating someone right now."

Madara raises an eyebrow. "Really, now?"

"Yes. You know that clerk at the bookstore?" Kakashi says. Madara considers.

"Hm. The mousy little man with the glasses, I am aware."

Kakashi crosses his arms. "Well we've been seeing each other for almost a month now."

"Really?" Madara leans back, impressed. "And why have you not introduced your mousy little friend to the rest of us?"

"Because we've only gone out a handful of times, and shinobi generally freak him out."

"Ah."

*****

"He doesn't have any friends. Please be nice to him!" Hashi bows in front of Kakashi, who has a sweatdrop at his temple and is staring at her as if she has two heads. Hashi straightens.

"My husband is really fond of you! He really likes those books you recommended him, all he talks about is how awful unrequited love is and how it's a shame that Obito isn't dating you. Please be nice to him!" Hashi says, and she bows again. "My husband can be a difficult man but he really has the best intentions!"

Kakashi blinks, another sweatdrop forming at his forehead. "Su-sure."

*****

4.

The civilian clerk checks his reflection in the mirror, straightening and re-straightening his hair. He fixes his glasses and buttons the collar of his shirt, then checks again that he looks okay.

It's just a date, but it's an important date. He's actually meeting Kakashi's shinobi friends today. He's already introduced Kakashi to his civilian friends, and Kakashi slipped right in, blending in with his friends group easily and impressing everyone around him. "He's so laid back," they said, marveling, and the clerk beamed, because this guy was definitely boyfriend material, he was super lucky to have him.

"Just so you know, shinobi are kind of...intense," Kakashi had said, and the clerk laughed.

"I'm sure they are! When can I meet them?"

"I'm meeting a few former students at the training grounds, do you want to say hi tomorrow?"

Now the clerk tugs on his collar, nervously. Dress pants, button-up shirt, glasses. He looks like an accountant or a middle manager, not someone who's actively dating a hot sexy shinobi.

"Yo," Kakashi says, and the clerk turns. He flashes Kakashi a nervous grin.

"Is this okay?" the clerk says. Kakashi nods.

"You look great. Don't worry about it."

He follows Kakashi nervously. Kakashi, as usual, saunters, hands stuffed in his pockets, head tilted back ever so slightly, looking at the sky. It's a disaffected cool that makes the clerk's stomach flip, because this is an actual shinobi and no one's ever been with a shinobi this close before. They get to the training grounds and Kakashi waves his hand.

"Yo, everyone," Kakashi says, and the clerk wonders, how is he going to introduce him? As his friend? Boyfriend? The guy who works in the bookshop he visits? "This is Kiyotsugu, the guy I'm seeing."

"OH!" Naruto says, trotting up to them. Sakura waves.

"Hello."

"Kakashi-sensei! What happened to that guy from the bowling alley? I heard he dumped you, dattebay--"

"NARUTO, you dumbass, shut up!" Sakura claps her hand over Naruto's mouth. The clerk laughs, nervously.

The pink-haired girl seems nice. She's normal and friendly. The blond kid is hyper and he has whiskers, which is weird to him. "Oh, he's got a fox spirit sealed in his belly," Kakashi says. "But don't worry, they're friends."

They take a walk around the village. Nin stroll past them and Kakashi makes the requisite pleasant introductions, and on the whole things are going pretty nice. "My esteemed rival is settling down!" Gai wails, and the clerk laughs self-consciously, a sweat drop forming on his forehead.

"Oh, Kiyotsugu," Kakashi says, and he takes the clerk by the arm. He motions to a couple walking opposite them. "These are my friends, Obito and Rin."

"Hello," the woman says, smiling. The man hangs back, awkwardly.

Scars. It's the first thing the clerk's gaze falls on, and it's so jarring the clerk has to remind himself not to stare. He turns awkwardly and tries to keep his eyes focused on the woman, who's chatting pleasantly with him, but every so often his eyes would dart over to the man with the scars marring his face and the white grafted skin.

The man's eyes meet his gaze. The clerk freezes. "My apologies!" the clerk says, and he bows. "I didn't mean to stare, I wasn't--"

"Don't worry, he knows he's funny-looking," Kakashi says.

"Kakashi!" Rin hits Kakashi on the arm. The disfigured man smiles.

"I heard you work at a bookstore?" the disfigured man says. His voice is a harsh rasp. The clerk nods, awkwardly.

"Well that was mortifying," the clerk says, after the couple leaves. Kakashi laughs and rubs his arm.

"Obito's not so bad," Kakashi says. "He's been through a lot. When you get to know him, he's actually a really nice guy."

"What happened to him?" the clerk asks, and for the first time, he sees Kakashi's face darken.

"He saved my life during the war. The scars are from those injuries."

"Do you want to talk about it?" the clerk asks. Kakashi shakes his head.

"Maybe someday. The details are too depressing."

Kakashi's eyes grow distant. Unfocused, as if reliving some painful memory. But then he shakes himself out of it and turns, his eyes creasing into two happy commas:

"Well, enough about that. Let's go somewhere and grab some lunch."

*****

It's a few weeks after Obito and Rin have met Kakashi's new boyfriend - the mousy bookstore owner Kakashi brought to the village - and they're having a double date. "Date" being the operative word, because it's not so much a date as it is Kakashi bringing this guy over so Obito can interrogate him. "Obito I need you to use your freaky Uchiha powers of observation and tell me if he's good or not," Kakashi had said. Obito coughed.

"He seems nice, why are you sabotaging it?"

"The other guy seemed nice too. And you know, just because you're with Rin now doesn't mean you get to give me dating advice. We both know that was just a lucky fluke."

"Hm."

"Is Kakashi really that nervous?" Rin asks. She tucks the baby into the stroller and covers him with a blanket. Obito shakes his head.

"Apparently he's afraid of coming across as too needy."

"Ooh."

They meet at the restaurant. The baby doesn't like the high chair, so Obito sits him on his lap so Rin can eat, feeding the baby by hand while the baby gurgles and squeals. Rin is making small-talk with Kakashi's date, and pretty soon all three of them are bonding over Icha Icha Paradise and debating their favorite ero novels.

"I like him!" Rin says. She grabs Kakashi's arm. "Kiyotsugu is so nice! And he's cute, too! You should totally keep seeing him!"

Kakashi laughs, blushing. "He is nice, isn't he?"

"Cute and nice! He's definitely nicer than that Ichigo guy you were seeing."

"You know about that?" Kakashi says, surprised. Rin grins at him.

"I mean, I was mostly haunting Obito, but occasionally I'd haunt you, so...."

"You guys finished talking about me?" the man says, smiling. He and Obito walk up toward them.

"Oh, Kiyotsugu," Kakashi straightens. "You were talking with Obito?"

"We were comparing notes about how you're a dumbass," Obito says, walking past them. The man laughs.

"He was telling me stories," the man says, blushing. Kakashi gives Obito a look.

"What? It's you. You look good no matter what you do," Obito says.

Nighttime now. The man and Rin keep chatting amiably while Kakashi pulls Obito to the side. "So?" Kakashi says.

"So, what?"

"So what do you think?"

"He's nice," Obito says.

"And?"

"And he's nice. I don't have a crystal ball, you might still do something stupid and screw it all up."

"But?"

"But I don't think you need to worry about him," Obito says. He nods toward them. "He loves you. I don't know why, you're a pain in the ass, but he really does want to be with you." Obito looks at him, pointedly. "You're not still hung up on that Ichigo asshole, right?"

"What? No, that guy's old news--"

"Because from where I'm standing, Kiyotsugu is good for you." Obito crosses his arms.

"Obito!" Rin waves toward them, the baby in one hand and pushing the empty stroller with the other. Obito jogs toward them and takes the stroller.

Kakashi watches. He watches how Obito bends over toward Rin, smiling as he picks up the baby. They look comfortable and happy together. Kiyotsugu comes up behind them.

"Jealous?" Kiyotsugu says. Kakashi shakes his head.

"I was just thinking it's good for them," Kakashi says. "They both had a tough go of it. Especially him," Kakashi says, looking at Obito. He turns toward Kiyotsugu. "Did you know he used to be a warlord, and that he brought about the Fourth Shinobi War?"

"Really?" Kiyotsugu says. Kakashi nods.

"You asked once what happened to me and him, and I said I'd tell you some other time. It's a long story. Do you want to hear it?"

"Yeah," Kiyotsugu says. He holds Kakashi's hand.


	10. Uchiha Itachi

1.

"This is your Kamui?" Rin looks around the inky darkness, at the stark geometric shapes scattered throughout the vast landscape. There is no visible light source. Her eyes adjust to the darkness, pupils blown, taking in what little illumination is available. She has the vague feeling of walking through a darkened woods in the middle of the night, of how the trees loom tall and wide, stretching toward infinite shadows. In the distance, Rin can make out the shape of a giant shuriken; scattered kunai and what looks like a chained weapon lying on the ground.

Obito picks up the chained sickle, thoughtfully. "I keep them here for easy access," Obito explains, and Rin can imagine it, how in the midst of battle he'd teleport and reappear as if in an instant, wielding weapons and chains without having to summon them.

She rubs her arms, looking around. "This reminds me of the place I died," Rin says. She looks at the polished crystal surfaces, the looming shapes that jut out like mountain ranges. "Obito. This reminds me of Kirigakure."

"It does?"

Rin nods, pressing her palm flat against the wall of a giant cube. "Even the layout is familiar. I'll never forget it. This path here," and she traces her steps, remembering, "opened up to a clearing, here," and they walk to an area of vast, empty space, the cubes and geometric shapes widening to a flat, smooth surface. "Obito. I think you recreated the place I died."

Obito blinks. "I was heading toward you," he says, and he remembers vaulting though the trees, ensconced within the Spiral Zetsu and desperate to find her, images of Rin coming through his eye in square patches of black and white. Obito's eyes widen.

"Rin I think you're right."

"Really?" Rin turns. Obito cranes his neck upwards, remembering.

"I was seeing the things Kakashi was seeing." He taps the side of his head, remembering. "The images came in like squares. Everything was black and white and hazy. And then...and then I saw him kill you."

Rin sucks in her breath. Obito looks back at her, and instinctively she leans against him. His fingers touch hers. "I never realized this time-space was a manifestation of your death."

"Can we leave?" Rin says, and Obito nods shortly, taking her hand as the Kamui swirls around them.

They end up back in their bedroom. There is always a moment of disorientation for her, a swirling darkness and cold, before materialization, and it takes a moment for her to get her bearings. Obito sits heavily on the bed and Rin has to anchor herself a moment before sitting next to him. Wordlessly he drops his head against her shoulder.

*****

2.

The longer she's with him, the more he starts acting like the old Obito.

"What are these?" Obito says, as Rin dumps an entire bag of unshucked oysters onto the counter.

"Oysters," Rin says. She wipes the back of her hand across her forehead. "They were selling them at the market. They're supposed to be good eaten raw, but you can bake them and stuff too."

They paw through the shells. The shells look like big gray rocks and briefly Rin is worried Obito will have another panic attack, but he doesn't seem to notice, frowning and picking up a rocky shell in his hand. "How do we open them?" he asks.

"I think--there's a video here showing how to shuck them," she says, and she props up her phone and brings up the civilian website Obito had shown her a few months ago. There's a civilian chef who cheerfully shucks oysters with the flat end of a type of knife they don't have, so Obito fishes out a kunai and they try prying open the shells.

The kunai slips. "Ow," Obito says. Rin's eyes widen at the gash that starts healing across his palm.

Obito smiles ruefully. "Good thing I have that ability now," Obito says. Rin giggles.

They shuck oysters, every few minutes Obito accidentally stabbing himself in the hand. "Um, maybe I should do this," Rin says, and she gently pries the kunai away from him. He scowls and has that same embarrassed look he had when they were kids, and Rin laughs, bumping her shoulder against his arm.

The oysters are nice, but annoying to open. They eat and take a walk around the village; it's nighttime, and the streets are illuminated with the warm yellow glow of street lamps. Couples walk around them, talking and laughing. They talk and laugh too, and as they do she feels Obito's knuckles shyly grazing the back of her hand. Rin giggles, then clasps his hand firmly in hers.

Obito stutters, then beams, his ears turning red. Rin giggles and wraps an arm around him.

They sit at the bench overlooking the Hokage monument. The sky is a deep blue, but the cliffside is illuminated by a light installation just below it. "The last face they carved is Sensei's," Rin says, looking, and they look at the four stoic faces looking down on them. "That doesn't look like Sensei," Rin says, giggling.

Obito's mouth quirks, wryly. "And they carved Hashi-san as a man."

They laugh. Rin bumps her shoulder into his and he ducks his head, his hands folded shyly on his lap. He used to sit this way too, when they were kids, except the longer they'd sit next together, the more happy he'd get, and then he'd jump up and start bouncing around about how one day he'd be Hokage, and everybody would acknowledge him and be nice to him. And Rin would laugh and say go for it, Obito, you can do it! and he'd grin and readjust his goggles on his forehead.

It's the same; the longer they sit, the happier Obito gets. "Now that I'm Hokage, there's so much I want to do with this village," Obito says. He stands up, excitedly. "Did you know there's a whole world out there outside of the Five Great Nations? There's a whole ocean, and continents, and billions of civilians populating the entire planet! They have machines that can fly in the air and underground railways and metal carriages that they drive and moves them everywhere." Obito looks up at the stars, wistfully. "I want to take you to see it, someday."

Rin smiles. "We can," Rin says. She steps next to him. Her hand brushes his and Obito jerks back, surprised. His face turns red.

Rin bursts out laughing. "Obito!" she says. She clasps his hand and tugs him toward her. "You're acting like when we were kids! Why are you embarrassed?"

Obito smiles shyly. "Sometimes I can't believe it," he says. He steps close. "You're actually with me."

"You're also Hokage."

"I don't care about that." His hands gently wrap around hers.

They kiss. She pushes up onto her tiptoes and kisses him, smiling against his mouth. They pull away and Obito is beaming, happy and blushing. She giggles and hugs him, squeezing her arms around his ribs. "Let's go home and try to make a baby," Rin says, wickedly. Obito lets out a soft laugh. She hugs him.

"Let's kamui back there."

"Eh? Why can't we walk?"

"You can't say something like that and expect me to walk!"

Rin laughs again. She wraps her arm around his waist and all at once they're sucked into coldness and blackness, the feeling he had felt when she died, before swirling solid again into their bedroom.

"Ne," Rin says, after they've made love, Obito plastered against her back and spooning her. She strokes his forearm, idly. "After they carve Tsunade-sama, are you gonna have your face up there, too?"

"God, no."

Rin giggles. She feels him smile and shift her closer.

*****

3.

"Itachi. Why have you not resurrected yourself yet?" Sasuke asks.

Itachi kneels in front of him, daintily sipping from a cup of tea. "This body has its uses," Itachi says. "If you remember, Sasuke, I went blind before I died. I coughed up blood and had a weak constitution. Now I have unlimited chakra as well as access to all my abilities. I can use the Mangekyou without worrying about the side effects or blindness. I don't feel pain or fatigue, I don't need to eat, and my stamina is endless. As far as my appearance is concerned," Itachi says, and his Sharingan flashes. "I can use a transformation jutsu at any time." And Sasuke finds himself staring at the old Itachi, the Itachi with clear white sclera and soft, non-cracked human skin.

"Whoa, you can do that?" Naruto says.

"I can indeed."

"Izuna-san was slapping lotion on himself, dattebayo."

Itachi walks through the village, blending in with the background. No one notices him. Chakra dampened, he watches silently as the shinobi of the village talk and chat amongst themselves, walking around him the way water flows around a stone.

Uchiha Obito is talking to a group of shinobi. Itachi's eyes narrow. He steps behind a pillar, eavesdropping.

He is, as long as Itachi has known him, a chameleon. A mental shapeshifter, one who can take on the characteristics of anyone so that he can be more disarming. An ancient warlord. A kage-level threat. An idiot or a mastermind, endlessly changing and recalibrating his plans.

"Sasuke. What do you know of the arms deal Uchiha Obito is making with the civilians?"

Sasuke shrugs. "He wants to integrate the tech into Konoha," Sasuke says. "There was a weapons demonstration the other day. Civilians can even penetrate the Susanoo with their guns."

Itachi's eyes narrow.

*****

Itachi had seen Obito's face once. The night of the Uchiha massacre, after he had slaughtered the last of their clan.

Itachi had fallen on his knees at the bank of the river, retching and crying. Behind him, the Uchiha quarter burned. Orange flames licked the black sky, as swirls of his Amaterasu curled up into the cold air.

Itachi looked up. Behind him, the man he thought was Madara slowly knelt down, then lifted a dead Uchiha's head by the hair. Pulling out a pocket knife, he shoved the blade into the dead man's socket, prying the eyeball out with a sickening pop. Itachi rose, eyes fixed on "Madara" as he lifted his mask, then slid the eye into his own socket. He turned and he could see Itachi watching; a trickle of blood dripped down the corner of his eye. 

He had told the masked man he was doing this to measure his capacity. Tried to make him think he was a sociopath, instead of being ANBU and following orders. The masked man didn't believe him then; now he walked up behind Itachi, his footsteps crunching on the dead, dry grass. "So?" the masked man said, and Itachi could hear the bitterness in his voice. The mocking. "Did you measure it? Your capacity?"

And Itachi looked up at him with swollen eyes, his Mankekyou dimming and dripping with blood.

*****

"Obito's not a bad guy, dattebayo," Naruto says.

Itachi frowns. Naruto always believed the best of everybody.

"He was fooling you." Itachi turns, looking out into the horizon. "His plan wasn't working. What may have seemed like regret was merely him putting himself in the best possible position should the war end."

"But he was really sad, dattebayo! He jumped in front of me and saved me--"

"No doubt hoping the rod would go through him with his Kamui," Itachi says. Naruto scratches his head. "He miscalculated," Itachi says. He turns away again. "That he can spin it in his favor is just at testament to his ability."

"Whatever you say, Itachi."

Itachi's eyes narrow.

*****

Itachi watched. Watched as "Tobi" clapped his hands and spun into a pirouette, laughing loudly and proclaiming that slaughtering fifty nin was a lot of fun. He watched as "Madara" reprimanded Pein for delaying their plans, acting as the leader of the Akatsuki while pretending to be the Mizukage. He watched as a nameless man orchestrated things from behind the shadows, beguiling leaders with veiled threats and subtle genjutsu and manipulation. He watched again as that man took on the mantle of Hokage, making arms deals with criminal civilians, speaking to them with the same veiled guile he used when he manipulated Sasuke, when he threatened the kage and terrorized the other missing nin.

In the village, life is peaceful. There are merchants selling their wares, families and children, shinobi and civilians meandering about the square.

It is a momentary peace. Itachi knows well enough that Uchiha Obito wouldn't endanger them unless it could further his ends. But that doesn't mean they're safe. He could turn on the village at any moment.

In the distance, Itachi walks quickly down the dirt road, his feet pounding silently onto the packed soil. Breaking into a jog, he leaps and turns into a flock of birds, flying up into the sky and scattering his consciousness around him.

*****

4.

In the shadowed moonlight, a dark figure stands at the edge of the training grounds.

"Madara," the figure says, and then he steps closer, a shaft of moonlight falling over him. "Or should I say, Hokage-sama." 

Obito looks up. Itachi's Mangekyou burn like two red coals. 

"Itachi," Obito says, and Itachi nods gravely. Obito looks him over. "You haven't resurrected yourself," Obito says. "Your body is made of Hashirama's cells. Even without the Rinnegan you should still be able to weave the seals."

"This body of mine serves my purposes," Itachi says. He steps around Obito, warily. 

"I assume you want to talk," Obito says. 

"That," Itachi says, and his eyes flick upward. "Among other things."

Obito's mouth tightens. Itachi rests a single arm through the slit in his cloak, his hand resting on the hilt of his katana, just as he'd done when he was in the Akatsuki. 

"You sound different," Itachi says. "It is not what I remembered."

"No," Obito says. "I was imitating Uchiha Madara's voice, as I'm sure you've already figured."

"Indeed," Itachi says. He studies Obito silently.

Obito glares at him. "What is it that you want?"

"I want to know your intentions."

Obito spreads his hands. "Peace and prosperity as the leader of Konoha," Obito says. His tone is mocking. Itachi looks at him silently.

"Somehow I have my doubts," Itachi says. They circle each other warily. 

"I remember the night you helped me kill our clan," Itachi says. "As soon as you finished slaughtering them, you started gouging out their eyes. You went around and harvested them."

"I did. Because if you remember, I worked alone. I needed them," Obito says. 

"For what purpose? For Izanagi?" Itachi frowns. "My Amaterasu should have incinerated you, but the genjutsu brought you back to life. Each time you should have died, you used up a Sharingan eye. I know it was you," Itachi says. "I know you were the one who poisoned Danzou, who convinced him the best course of action was to slaughter our clan."

"There are only murderers standing here, Itachi, and I'm a busy man. Get to the point."

"I just want you to know that I am watching," Itachi says. "If you stray from the path, I have no qualms with killing you."

Obito raises his eyebrows. "An undead shinobi deigns to threaten the village Hokage?" He smirks. "Wonders never cease."

"I will be watching." Itachi's body shimmers, then breaks down into a flock of birds.

"You may have the others fooled, but I alone know the real you."

*****

He slams the door to his apartment, shoving everything off the table. Obito grits his teeth and starts crying. He's always been this way. Always crying when he's angry. Crying when he's scared. Crying for no reason. Like a dumb fucking kid.

There are footsteps running toward him. "Obito?!"

Tears streak down his face as he flings the table sideways and slams his fist against the wall.

"Obito!"

Obito turns. Rin is cowering in the back, clutching a medical textbook and looking up at him with frightened eyes.

"Rin." Tears slip down his face. He reaches a shaky hand to wipe his eyes. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to frighten you. I'm sorry."

"What happened?"

"Uchiha Itachi."

"What?"

Obito closes his eyes. "Let me show you." His eyes open to reveal his Sharingan.

Rin nods. He tips her head back pours into her his memories of their confrontation. The genjutsu ends and Rin's eyes widen.

"It's true what he said." Obito looks up at her with terrible eyes. "I was alone. I needed those eyes. It was the only way I could keep going.

"I cast a genjutsu on Danzou amplifying his paranoia. I sowed doubt and discord amongst the people of my clan. I acted as an agent of chaos with the mistaken belief that I could resurrect them. But I also revelled in it, because I hated them." A shadow falls over his eyes. His hands curl into fists. "He was right about me. And I understand if you want to leave me."

Rin watches him. Slowly she sidles up to him, presses her body against his.

"I already knew this about you," she says, softly. "I was watching you, remember?"

Obito takes a shuddery breath. "Rin..."

She pulls him close and kisses him, wrapping her arms around him.

That night, he clutches her tight when they make love, squeezing his eyes and burying his face into her shoulder. With each thrust he drives down further into her, wants to pry open her bones and crawl inside her.

"Rin," he gasps, and her name is like a prayer, a desperate plea. "Rin, Rin..."

He gasps and comes hard, and she hugs him, holding him close as he starts to cry.

*****

Rin is asleep. Obito sits at the edge of the bed, watching her body curled up beneath the blanket. A soft moonlight drifts in through the gauzy curtains, dusting the outline of her body in the blue-hued darkness. She's breathing deeply, her chest rising and falling. Tentatively, he rests a hand on the skin of her shoulder, feels her sigh and shift, before moving his hand again.

Sometimes, he thinks he loves her so much his heart could burst. Sometimes he looks at her and wants to break down weeping. More than anything he wants to curl up against the hollows of her body, wants to escape the weight of his grief and rage and hateful self-loathing. He doesn't deserve her. He doesn't deserve any of this. 

For a brief, agonizing moment, he wonders if he should genjutsu her. Make it so that she doesn't love him. It would be better for her, he thinks, and his irises start to turn. She could make a clean break of it. She could find someone better than him.

But if the genjutsu were ever to break, she would hate him for it, and he can't stand the thought of hurting her. 

****

Morning. There is a thin yellow light that filters through the curtains of the bedroom, and Rin stretches and opens her eyes, reaching an arm out toward Obito's side of the bed. It's empty. Silently she gets up and pads barefoot to the living room, where she finds him sitting.

His eyes are puffy and red. He's holding the application for their marriage certificate in his hand.

"Obito?" she frowns at him. "What are you doing?"

"I thought about tearing this up, but I can't."

Rin goes to him and hugs him. "I love you," she says, and she kisses him. He lets out a shuddery sigh and she presses his head against her chest, stroking his hair.

"Do you still want to have a child with me?" he asks. Rin smiles.

"More than anything," she says, and his head snaps upward, his eyes searching hers. She tenderly kisses him again, then presses her forehead against his brow.

*****

5.

Somehow, Madara gets wind of the whole Itachi debacle, cornering him at the training grounds and threatening to eyeball him into tiny little pieces should he keep harassing his stupid apprentice. Kakashi has to talk him down, helpfully reminding him that should he vaporize Itachi's body, it would simply reconstitute itself since Itachi was still Undead.

Against all odds, they come to a trade agreement. Obito and the civilian minister stand outside and shake hands, signing the treaty, and civilian news photographers crowd around them, capturing the moment.

"Hokage-sama! Will you wear the hat for the photograph?"

Obito looks up. The civilian press is waving at him, gesturing toward the hat. He throws a glance at Kakashi, who's holding the hat like a bomb. The minister smiles.

"Yes, we've all heard about the famous Hokage hat! We would love to see it." The delegates from the civilian side chuckle - they think their ninja uniforms are cute, old-timey and anachronistic, like something from a cosplay convention.

Kakashi starts, "Actually, minister--"

"No," Obito says, and he smiles. "It's okay. Hand me the hat."

Kakashi blinks. "O-okay..."

Obito sets it on his head. Outside, the wind rises. For a moment, he keeps his hand on the crest of the hat, his eyes hidden and the white flaps of the cap moving like banners. His mouth stretches into an enigmatic smile.

"That's a great picture!" the photographer says, and he lifts up the camera.

_Flash._

end.


	11. fan comic: elevator

**Omake:**


End file.
